Surging virus meets slow administration

ROURKELA:  Against a rapidly surging transmission, Sundargarh administration has caught reading and reacting slow to the alarming situation. Its hesitancy in decision-making and implementation of preventive measures appears to be the reason behind spread of the second wave of Covid-19 in the district, one of the epicenters in the State. 

Between April 9 and Thursday, the district has added a whopping 5,977 new cases. It has been eight days since Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra directed an increase in hospital and isolation beds but the administration has been tardy in action, ignoring the fact that one week time is enough for new virus strain to cause irreparable damage. 

In a late arrangement though, hospital beds were recently increased to 605 and in another arrangement 280 more beds were added two days ago. Enforcement also started late against Covid-19 norm violators with the weekend shutdown. Notwithstanding the raise, district’s healthcare system is stretched with mounting cases and unofficially high mortality as the administration seems slow in implementing institutional quarantine and cut risky dependency on home isolation. 

Last year, the virus strain was not so strong yet the district was in readiness with more than enough isolation beds and adequate hospital beds. Then community spread was effectively curbed with immediate isolation of asymptomatic and symptomatic patients. This time, the administration failed to gauge the virulence of the new virus strain. Till March 31, the daily new cases were below 31 and the jump started with daily cases of 80 or more but from April 9, the situation has been alarming.  

Collector Nikhil Pawan Kalyan on Wednesday held a review meeting with Rourkela MLA SP Nayak, Rourkela ADM Aboli Sunil Naravane and RMC Commissioner Dibyajyoti Parida and discussed on management and containment measures including opening of 1,200 bedded Covid-19 Care Centres (CCCs) at BPUT and NIT-Rourkela. 

In an interview to a TV channel, the RMC Commissioner said mobilisation has started and in a week 1,500 to 2,000 CCC beds would be operational at BPUT and NIT-R.  However, against the high number of cases, especially in Rourkela, the testing is abysmally low. As a result, many suspects wait for days to get tested while reports arrive in three to eight days. In the space between testing and report arrival, suspected patients stay with families and go outside to increase chances of the spread manifold.

On Wednesday 2,979 samples including 2,766 for RT-PCR tests were collected. The only RT-PCR testing centre for the district at Rourkela has maximum daily testing capacity of 250 and majority samples are sent to Cuttack. Sources said, there are talks to set up another RT-PCR lab but no action seems in sight. 

Pyres rage at Vedvyas cremation ground
Rourkela: The number of cremations with Covid-19 protocol at the Vedvyas crematorium here has been witnessing an abnormal rise since April 14. The highest of over 20 deaths were reported from across the district on Wednesday. All of them were reportedly undergoing treatment at Covid hospitals in Rourkela. The bodies were cremated as per Covid guidelines but officials concerned continue to remain tight-lipped on the mortality rate. Despite their denial, sources close to many of the deceased persons whose bodies were cremated on Wednesday said they were Covid positive and died during treatment.

While the second coronavirus wave sweeps across the State relentlessly, it is not the number of cases but the alleged rise in fatalities that has caused panic among locals in Sundargarh. While the authorised medical officer for Covid-19 in Rourkela, Dr Kabi Satpathy, denied having knowledge of the virus-related deaths, ADM Aboli Sunil Naravane said all bodies cremated as per Covid-19 protocol do not imply death from the infection. “All Covid-19 related deaths are monitored by the Chief District Medical & Public Health Officer (CDM-PHO) who also has denied knowledge of the rising death toll,” she said.