COVID-19: Odisha Loses Three More Journalists In Second Wave

Berhampur/Balangir/Jajpur: Odisha lost three more journalists from Balangir and Jajpur and Ganjam districts who succumbed to COVID-19 infections.

Bishnu Prasad Patra (42), a senior journalist of Berhampur in Ganjam district and a reporter of the Odia vernacular daily Odisha Bhaskar and Kalinga Darpana, was admitted to the Tata COVID Hospital recently after he tested positive for the virus. However, his condition became critical on Saturday night and despite the best efforts of the doctors, he passed away at 7.50 am on Sunday.

Ratikant Bal (38) from Nalipur village in Badachana block in Jajpur district was working as a reporter for a private news channel Ekamra TV. He was in home isolation for the last 10 days after he tested positive for the virus. Later, he was shifted to the Tata COVID Hospital at Kalinga Nagar.

But as his condition became critical, he was referred to the KIMS COVID Hospital in Bhubaneswar at noon on Saturday. But he died on the way.

In another case, Kailash Chandra Sahu (75), a senior journalist of Patnagarh block in Balangir district and a reporter of the Odia vernacular daily Pragativadi, had recovered from COVID-19 recently.

However, on Saturday afternoon, he fell down and lost his consciousness in his house. He was then rushed to the district headquarters hospital where the doctors pronounced him as brought dead. The post-mortem report revealed that Sahu had a massive heart attack while the doctors said that the death was due to post-COVID complications.

With this, 25 journalists from Odisha have died during the second wave of COVID-19 so far.

1. Jatish Khamari (46), Bolangir- ‘Sambad’
2. Manoj Sahu, Chikiti, Ganjam- ‘Nitidin’
3. Gobind Behera (25), Kukudakhandi, Ganjam- Web TV ‘News6’
4.Manas Jaypuria (49), Sambalpur- ‘Zee Odisha’
5. Amjad Badshah (45), Jharsuguda- ‘NFTV’
6. Bhanuprakash Rath, Bhabanipatna- ‘Naxatra TV’
7. Adwait Prasad Biswal (80), Rourkela- Weekly ‘Sramika Malika’
8. Subash Sahare, Jharsuguda- ‘Shasaka Prasashaka’
9. Debendra Samantray, Sambalpur- ‘Sambad’
10. Pritiman Mohapatra, Bhubaneswar- ‘ToI’
11: Karunakar Sahoo, Hinjilikatu, Ganjam- ‘Sambad Kalika’
12. Harish Chandra Sha, Simulia- ‘Samaya’
13. Sudam Charan Nayak (55), K. Nuagaon, Kandhamal- ‘Prameya’
14. Subhranshu Mishra, Salbheta, Bolangir- ‘Sambad’
15. Manoj Beborta, Mumbai/Cuttack- ‘Network18’
16. Sumit Onka, Jeypore- ‘The Pioneer”, Visakhapatnam
17. Pradip Sahu (43), Berhampur, ‘Sambad’
18. D Shankar Rao (76), Koraput- ‘Sakshi’ (Telugu)
19. Kishore Chandra Dash (61), Polsara, Ganjam- ‘Samaja’
20. Durbaksha Bastia (45), Boudh- ‘Odisha Bhaskar’
21. Sabnam Sirin (38), Bhubaneswar- Radio 90.4/SOA FM Radio
22. Sumanta Mohanty (50), video-journalist at Rourkela-‘Kanak News’
23. Ratikant Bal (38), Badachana, Jajpur- ‘Ekamra TV’
24. Kailash Chandra Sahoo (75), Patnagarh- ‘Pragativadi’
25. Bishnu Prasad Patra (42), Berhampur- ‘Odisha Bhaskar’/’Kalinga Darpana’

ALSO READ: Senior Video Journalist Dies Of COVID In Odisha’s Rourkela