Covid hospital plan irks locals

BERHAMPUR: The efforts of the district administration to convert the City Hospital into a full-fledged Covid Hospital has not gone down well among locals.Attendants of patients admitted to the hospital here on Sunday urged CDMO Dr Umasankar Mishra not to accommodate Covid-19 suspects in the facility. 

A portion of the hospital is being used as a dedicated Covid care centre where samples of suspects are collected under the supervision of two doctors and other staff. Residents of Bogula Street, adjacent to the hospital, urged the CDMO to use the hospital only for general patients. The CDMO assured to barricade the Covid care centre and deploy security guards to ensure segregation of suspects from others.  

The locals’ views were echoed by the Doctors Forum, BJP and Congress. President of the forum Dr Sankarsana Patra said the proposal to convert the City Hospital into a Covid Hospital is unacceptable as it caters to thousands of the city’s residents. In the present scenario, collection of samples for testing poses risk of rapid spread of infection. Dr Patra suggested the authorities concerned to convert health care facilities on the city’s outskirts like Sankara Eye Hospital, LV Prasad Eye Institute and others into Covid hospitals. 

Similarly, BJP leader Kanhu Charan Pati and Congress working president Pitabasa Panda said even as huge amount of time and money has been spent on setting up of temporary medical centres, most such facilities are not being utilised for testing of Covid-19 suspects. 

Meanwhile, Ayush doctors of the district expressed their discontentment over an order issued by the CDMO asking them to rejoin duties before completion of their quarantine period. Around 15 Ayush doctors, deployed at Covid Hospitals in Parala Maharaja Engineering College and Biju Patnaik Homeopathy College, were relieved of duties on May 18 and 26 and asked to remain in home quarantine for 14 days. 

In a directive issued by Dr Mishra, they were allowed to rejoin duties immediately. The doctors, in a memorandum, urged the CDMO to allow them to rejoin only after their quarantine period is over. Dr Mishra said the order was issued as per the directives of the State Government. 

Public resentment 
A portion of City Hospital is being used as a Covid care centre where samples of suspects are collected 
Fearing spread of infection, locals urged the CDMO to ensure the hospital is used only for general patients 
Doctors Forum has suggested the authorities to use facilities on the city’s outskirts as dedicated Covid hospitals