Odisha Fight COVID-19: Quarantine Centre On Nursing Home Premises In Cuttack Dist Raises Eyebrows

Cuttack: Much to the ire of locals, temporary medical camps (TMC) for quarantining migrants have allegedly been set up in populated and residential areas of Cuttack district in gross violation of the guidelines.

A case in point is the quarantine centre on the premises of a three-storey building, where a nursing home is functioning, along the Cuttack-Chandbali State Highway at Bahabalpur in Jignipur panchayat.

With potential carriers of coronavirus being housed in these centres,  hundreds of patients visiting the hospital daily are at the risk of contracting the infection.

In Bandhakatia panchayat, a TMC has been set up at Satabdi Library and Community Centre and another on the premises of a Madrasa at Kazihat under Jairampur panchayat.

Locals are questioning the government’s decision to set up TMCs in private facilities despite availability of several government schools and other establishments’ buildings in the localities.

Refuting this allegation, Nischintakoili BDO Karnadev Samaddar told TNIE that all TMCs have been set up as per the government guidelines.

He said that the owner of the building in Jignipur panchayat had offered to rent out the third floor  for quarantine purpose and accordingly permission was given for the same.

Admitting that the TMC was set up illegally on the premises of nursing home, Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani, however, said that had already instructed the BDO to withdraw the permission.