Three More Hospitals In Odisha To Conduct COVID-19 Tests: Minister

Bhubaneswar: The sudden spike in COVID-19 patients in Odisha has prompted the state government to increase the number of tests to detected possible cases and three more hospitals will soon have such facilities.

A decision to this effect was taken at the inter-ministerial meeting at the Lok Seva Bhawan here on Thursday.

Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kumar Das said COVID-19 tests will also be conducted at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, Ispat General Hospital (IGH) in Rourkela and Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla.

“The COVID-19 testing facility at the MKCG will ready by April 12, VIMSAR by April 15 and IGH by April 17,” he added.

The minister also said that the meeting proposed to sanitize people in line with the AIIMS-New Delhi and the sanitization of the SCB Medical College and Hospital and Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack.

Reviewing the COVID-19 situation in the state, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on April 6 had ordered for increasing the testing capacity to 1000 a day in the next five days.

Tests are currently being conducted at RMRC and AIIMS in Bhubaneswar and SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

On Wednesday, the Institute of Life Sciences in Bhubaneswar got the go ahead from Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, to conduct COVID-19 tests. The testing will commence here from next week.