Odisha Reaches 5L COVID-19 Testing Milestone; 8 Patients Cured Through Plasma Therapy

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Thursday informed about achieving 5 lakh COVID-19 testing milestone.

National Health Mission (NHM) Director Shalini Pandit further said that 54 testing laboratories are currently operational in 30 districts.

While urging people not to hide symptoms and readily got for tests, she said that Odisha has the capacity to conduct 20,000 tests daily “Adequate testing equipment and kits available,” she said, adding that sample collection has been increased in all districts.

The NHM Director also elaborated on the success of plasma therapy in the state. “While 28 people have donated plasma, and 33 have undergone the procedure. Among them, 23 have responded well to the treatment and eight have so far been cured of the disease,” she said.

Pandit informed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will be inaugurating the Plasma Bank at IGH-Rourkela on Friday.

With this, Odisha will have three plasma collection centres. While SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack was the first to collect plasma for the treatment of critically-ill patients, the CM inaugurated the second bank at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, two days ago. Two more plasma banks will come up at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and VIMSAR in Burla.

Also Read; Medical Student Becomes First Woman To Donate Plasma For COVID-19 Treatment In Odisha

Also Read: Odisha CM Inaugurates Plasma Bank In Bhubaneswar Hospital, 3 More In Offing

Elaborating on COVID-19 cases in Odisha, the NHM director said that 7 per cent of the patients are above 60 years and 64 per cent below 40 years. “While 54 per cent of the total patients are asymptotic, 46 per cent are symptomatic. Among them, 72 per cent are male and 28 per cent female,” she said.

The government has procured new drugs like Remdesiver, Fabiflu, Tocilizumab and has supplied them to hospitals, she added.