COVID Patient Dies During ECMO Treatment At Odisha’s SCB Hospital

Cuttack: A patient died while undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack on Saturday night.

He is the first patient to have died at the ECMO unit of SCB.

According to SCB sources, the deceased hailed from Pattamundai in Kendrapada. He was admitted to the Cuttack hospital after he tested COVID positive on August 29. Later, his lungs got infected and he was shifted to the ECMO unit from the Corona ward.

Also on Saturday night, a official from the Health Department was admitted to the ECMO unit at SCB. He was shifted from a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.

At present, three patients are admitted to the ECMO unit under the Cardiothoracic Department.

SCB authorities have set up a team of doctors to identify the patients who need ECMO treatment.

Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had dedicated nine ECMO machines to SCB in the last week of August.

The CM said the state government will bear all expenses to facilitate ECMO treatment to critical COVID patients at SCB. “We have to remain more cautious to battle the third wave,” he added.

Also Read: Odisha CM Dedicates 9 ECMO Machines At SCB; Free Treatment To Critical COVID Patients