3-Pronged Approach To Tackle 3rd Wave In Odisha; COVID Deaths Remain A Concern

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has adopted a three-pronged approach with special focus on child health to tackle a possible third wave of COVID-19.

Briefing the media on Tuesday, Director, Health Services, Bijay Mohapatra said emphasis would be on increasing vaccination, intensifying active surveillance and reinforcement of health infrastructure. “The main focus will be on child health for which doctors and health staff in all government hospitals are being trained,” Mohapatra added.

Referring to the increasing number of deaths of COVID patients, he said that this will continue for some more days.

“We can tell about the date and number of deaths only after receiving the audit reports from the districts. There are about 450 patients in the ICU and 55-60 patients on ventilators. On an average, 30 per cent of the ICU patients are shifted to the ventilators. The probable fatality rate of the patients kept on ventilators is about 90-92 per cent. As long as there are critical patients, deaths will continue,” Mohapatra observed.

Regarding the prevailing situation in the state, he said there was an early peak of COVID-19 in the western Odisha districts and a late peak in the coastal districts.

“While the rate of infection in western Odisha has come down appreciably, the same is expected in the coastal districts by the second week of July,” Mohapatra pointed out.

On the visit of the central team to the state to review the high COVID caseloads in some districts, he said that the Health Department will submit the detailed data of these districts after which the team will decide the places it would like to visit.