COVID-19: Minister Rules Out Mismanagement, Cites Low Mortality Rate In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Health Minister Naba Das on Wednesday dismissed the allegations of the Opposition on COVID-19 mismanagement by the government citing very low mortality rate.

Making a statement in Assembly after an adjournment motion on the matter, Das claimed that his government is doing a lot better in management of the pandemic than other states. While the national mortality rate due to the disease is 1.6%, it is 0.38% in Odisha, he added.

Giving the details on the disease, Das said, of around 36,000 active cases in the state now, 29,000 positive patients are in home quarantine, while 7348 patients are being treated in COVID hospitals.

“If the government has failed in COVID management, how these patients are recovering from the disease?,” he asked the Opposition.

Earlier, Congress legislator Santosh Singh Saluja accused the government of hiding the facts regarding the COVID-19. While around 10,000 people were being affected by the disease everyday, the government puts the figure at 3,000-4,000, he said.

Citing the Assembly case, Saluja said out of total 1037 COVID-19 tests conducted among the MLAs and staff, 184 tested positive at the rate of 18%. If the same average is applied to the state, there should be at least 72 lakh positive cases so far, he added.

On the migrant issue, the minister said COVID-19 was under control during the lockdown in the state. The situation deteriorated after migrants returned, he added.