Bhubaneswar: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire Services personnel received accolades from the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday. The CM praised and thanked them for donating plasma to serious COVID-19 patients after getting cured from the deadly virus infection themselves.
Patnaik took to Twitter to praise them. He wrote:
Commend the @NDRFHQ and @OdishaFS_HGs_CD personnel for coming forward after recuperating to donate Plasma for the treatment of serious patients. This gesture will inspire other Covid patients to donate blood after recovery & help save precious lives. #OdishaCares
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) July 19, 2020
More than 500 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and OFS personnel along with 10 teams of NDRF were sent to neighbouring state West Bengal on May 23 to assist the West Bengal government in clearing roads and cutting trees after Super Cyclone Amphan hit the state. As of now, 295 personnel, who went to West Bengal, tested positive for coronavirus following their return.
Odisha, meanwhile, recorded 17,437 COVID-19 cases so far with 736 new cases on Sunday.