Odisha government has finally decided to strengthen public health facilities for COVID treatment. It came after spending hundreds of crores for facilities developed in partnership with private hospitals for COVID care in the last two years.
In view of the rising number of COVID-19 infections and non functioning of private dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH) at district level, the State government has decided to augment facilities in district headquarters hospitals (DHHs) and medical college and hospitals (MCHs).
As per the decision taken at a high level meeting, each DHH and MCH will have a DCH facility having general oxygen beds, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU). While SCB MCH at Cuttack, MKCG MCH at Berhampur and VIMSAR at Burla will have 40 beds including ICU, HDU, OT and labour room, the rest MCHs will have 20 beds with ICU facility. All DHH will have 20 beds including ICU/HDU and 20 beds, including five ICU/HDU will be considered as one unit.
Initially, each government hospital will have a facility of one unit which can be expanded or incremented by adding one more unit when 50 per cent (pc) of available beds are filled up. When the number of patients admitted is less than 10, the facility will be managed by in-house staff of the MCH or DHH.
