Odisha demands 25 lakh doses of  Covishield, oxygen from Centre 

BHUBANESWAR /JHARSUGUDA:   The State government on Wednesday requested the Centre to provide 25 lakh doses of Covishield vaccine and adequate numbers of oxygen cylinders for effective management of the raging pandemic in Odisha.

The demands were placed by Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das during a virtual meeting on Covid situation in Odisha with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
Das said as 22 lakh people are waiting for second dose of Covishield vaccine in the State, the Centre should ensure supply of the vaccine on an urgent basis. He informed the Union Health Minister that the daily output of medical oxygen in the State is 52.9 tonne while the production is 155.51 tonne through cylinders.

Stating that the surplus liquid medical oxygen (LMO) cannot be utilised due to shortage of cylinders, Das said the State urgently needed 15,000 B-type oxygen cylinders and as many D-type cylinders with concentrators. Odisha now has more critical patients and requires around 500 ventilators, he said.

The Minister maintained that the State needs sufficient rapid antigen test kits to ramp up Covid-19 tests. “For the safety of health workers and doctors, the State needs 5 lakh PPE kits, 10 lakh gloves and 10 lakh N-95 masks,” he said and requested the Centre to set up a 24X7 helpline in the national task force for timely assistance and information.

Das informed the Union Health Minister that the State has a stock of 40,452 Remdesivir vials (100 mg) against a daily consumption of 2,000 vials and over 3.93 lakh Favipiravir tablets (200 mg) against daily consumption of 6,000. He said effective Covid management in Odisha has ensured fatality ratio much lower (0.39%) than the national average (1.08%). Besides, the recovery rate in Odisha is more than 80 per cent (82.23%), he added.