COVID-19 Patients Sent To Designated Hospitals Only, SCB Safe To Visit For Regular Check-Ups: Odisha Health Secy

Bhubaneswar: Health Secretary Nikunja Dhal on Tuesday said seven designated COVID hospitals are operational in Odisha to treat patients with the infection.

“Since it is a highly infectious disease, separate hospitals were set up for this purpose. Doctors treating them should not attend to other patients,” he said.

Such hospitals will soon be set up in every district to isolate suspected cases and treat those with the infection, he said.

“There are no COVID-19 patients in SCB Medical College and Hospital and City Hospital in Cuttack and people can go to these hospitals for regular medical check-up without any fear,” he said.

The Health Secretary further said that one suspected case is being kept in strict isolation at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and his first swab samples have tested negative. “He will be discharged from hospital if his second test results are also negative,” he added.

All confirmed cases are referred to the designated hospitals only, he said.

Dhal also urged people with flu-like symptoms not to visit hospitals, instead instead dial government helpline 104. “The medical teams will assist them and they will be kept in hospital isolation if required,” he said.

He said that there was no need to panic as two persons with COVID-19 infected have recovered from it and discharged from hospitals, where they were undergoing treatment.