Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Tuesday decided to close all Covid Care Centres (CCCs) given the decrease in the number of daily cases, officials said. However, treatment of the existing patients will continue in the CCCs till their discharge.
New patients of the locality will be referred to nearby government facilities, a letter sent to all the district collectors, municipal commissioners, chief district medical officers and public health officers said.
At least 83 CCCs across the state are almost empty following a reduction in the number of COVID-19 patients who require hospitalisation.
Mild and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases are in home isolation.
Currently, there are 28,730 active Covid-19 cases in the state. Officials said.
About 1,000 patients are still in ICUs or ventilators, they said.
As per the decision, all Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHCs), Dedicated Covid Hospitals (DCHs) run by the government and Covid facilities in Government Medical Colleges will continue to function, the letter said.
This apart, all government Covid facilities run by private hospital partners will be closed, if no patient has been admitted.
If some patients are still undergoing treatment at a facility, they shall continue the treatment till they are discharged.
All the Covid hospitals managed by private hospital partners and funded by corporate partners or District Mineral Foundation (DMF) shall continue to function till the end of the approval period.
The private hospitals under the Odisha Clinical Establishment (Control & Regulation) Act & Rules shall continue to provide treatment to symptomatic Covid-19 patients at rates notified by the government.
The manpower already deployed in Government Covid-19 Hospitals set up at Medical Colleges shall be retained proportionate to occupancy.
Officials concerned have been asked to remain in readiness to functionalise quickly in the event of the onset of the third wave of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the two-member central team which reached Odisha on Monday to review the Covid-19 situation and its management in the state, visited Jagatsinghpur district during the day.
The team comprises Dr Shibani Dutta and Dr A Dan.
Along with district health officials, the team visited the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Jagatsinghpur and took stock of the situation.
The central team also visited the vaccination centre and isolation centre at the DHH and discussed the ongoing Covid management practice in the district.
“The situation is under control here. The positivity rate is declining. We have discussed with the officials the problems they are facing. They apprised us about the need for more specialised doctors for the hospital,” said Dr Shibani Dutta, Professor in the Department of Public Health Administration at All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health in Kolkata.
The team had visited some Covid-19 hospitals in Bhubaneswar Monday.
PTI