Cuttack's Adaspur CHC sealed as six staffers test positive for COVID-19

CUTTACK: In the absence of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), more and more frontline health workers are being infected by coronavirus in Cuttack district raising concern among the Health department officials.

Six staff of Adaspur Community Health Centre (CHC) in Cuttack district tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday forcing the authorities to seal the healthcare facility in Kantapada block on Wednesday.

The infected staff are two Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM), Public Health Extension Officer(PHEO), a health supervisor, a clerk and a peon of the CHC.

All of them had come in contact with another ANM of the CHC who was tested positive for Covid-19 on July 1.

The ANM is said to have been infected while working in a quarantine centre in the locality. All the infected staff are said to have come in contact with many persons in the locality.

Similarly, two medicine shop owners at Kendupalli village and Athagarh have been infected by coronavirus.

The medicine shop owner in Athagarh tested positive after coming in contact with the infected Athagarh SDPO recently.

He is said to have come in contact with more than 200 persons in and around the localities. Health officials have so far been able to trace out 70 of his contacts who have been instructed to undergo institutional and home quarantine. Their swab samples will be collected and sent for test on July 10.

Meanwhile, Athagarh NAC authority has filed an FIR against the infected medicine shop owner at the Athagarh police station for violating quarantine norms.

Not only had he moved around the localities but also opened his sealed medicine store at the backdoor in a clandestine manner.

While the local health officials have been able to trace out as many as 78 contacts of the shop owner at Kendupalli, their swab samples will be sent for test on July 11.

Local Asha and anganwadi workers have started door to door survey among 988 families in the locality. A patholab owner and technician at Maniabandha have also been tested positive for Covid-19.

This has put the health officials in a difficult situation as they have to trace out all the people that the lab owner and technician have come in contact with.

Health experts have opined that surge in infection among the health official staff is due to lack of SOP at the rural PHCs and CHCs.

Health staff in rural areas should be trained properly to handle the situation, they stated.

Other cases

• Two medicine shop owners at Kendupalli village and Athagarh infected by coronavirus.

• Athagarh patient is said to have come in contact with over 200 persons. FIR registered against him for violating home quaratine norms

• A patholab owner and technician at Maniabandha also tested +ve