Bhubaneswar: On this day a year ago (March 15, 2020), Odisha reported its first confirmed case of coronavirus.
A resident of Badagada area in Bhubaneswar developed COVID-19 symptoms after returning from Italy.
He was then admitted to Capital Hospital for treatment.
The hospital had said a youth’s blood sample and swab test reports in the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) had tested positive for the Covid-19.
Odisha, which is known for its track record of efficiently handling natural disasters, including the recent cyclone, managed the Covid pandemic quite efficiently.
The state was the first in the country to initiate strict measures. The Chief Minister ordered an immediate closure of many public places on 13 March, even though the state had not reported a single case of COVID-19. When the first case was reported on 15 March, the state control rooms had been made operational; and capacity building of the district level health officials on preparedness and response activities, and public awareness campaigns on handwashing and respiratory etiquettes were already initiated.
The state laid down a strong governance framework with ‘Empowered Group of Ministers’ for quick decision making and dedicated teams for social distancing, capacity building, containment strategy, isolation and treatment, and awareness campaigns.
Odisha was also the first to establish one of the country’s biggest 1000-bedded dedicated COVID hospital in a record time of just one week; with the Kalinga Institute of Medical Science and SUM Hospital established as model COVID hospitals. Besides, 30 dedicated district COVID hospitals (DCH) were set up in all districts, out of which 17 hospitals are functioning in tripartite agreement with the government, private hospitals, and finance corporations.
The state witnessed a huge influx of migrants. To manage this, the government adopted multi-pronged approaches such as monitoring of migrant’s movement, issue of online e-pass, contact tracing, provision of food and accommodation, monitoring health and adherence to safety measures, etc.
