Malkangiri: The Malkangiri district administration has decided to open temporary health centres in Higher Primary Schools of 111 panchayats in the district to keep suspected coronavirus patients or those who have come in touch with them in quarantine. It has also advised people to consult a doctor immediately, if they develop symptoms like fever, cold, cough and body pain.
Officials said that in rural areas every gram panchayat will have at least one building which can accommodate 50-100 persons for quarantine with basic facilities like electricity including back up, water supply, toilets, mosquito nets, bed covers, sanitizers, hand wash and soaps. The administration can also quarantine people who may show symptoms related COVID-19.
“People living in small houses with more than a single family member in one room can also be shifted for quarantine. Some people who have returned to the district from other states or are facing ostracisation can also be housed in the quarantine centres”, said officials.
Six hundred separate beds for quarantine have also been arranged in Malkangiri District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Old Hospital and Malkangiri B.ED College. A decision has also been taken to open a temporary health centre at Balimela NAC with 300 beds. In the primary schools each room will have eight beds.
The patients will be quarantine for 14 days. If their swab tests are negative they can go home.
It should be stated here that to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Odisha government has decided to open large number of temporary health centres both in rural and urban areas to quarantine people.
PNN