Bhubaneswar: Odisha government’s health department has tightened its Corona virus surveillance on Chinese engineers and workers engaged in Vedanta’s plant in Jharusuguda.
At a high-level Corona virus preparedness meeting, held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Asit Tripathy, it was informed that an isolation ward has been opened in the Jharusuguda district headquarter hospital in view of the Chinese employees of the Vedanta plant. The district administration has also increased the surveillance in Jharsuguda airport which handles Chinese travelers, he informed.
The chief secretary who along with the principal secretary for health, Nikunja Dhal, had an interaction with the district collectors and district medical officers through video conferencing, directed that all preparation should be in place to combat the menace. He also suggested that steps should be taken to prevent panic situations among the people.
Dhal said that a 24×7 control room has been opened at the health directorate and trained rapid response teams have been kept in high alert. He added that the Bhubaneswar RMRC and the Pune’s Natioal Virology Research Institute have been declared as nodal centres for corona virus testing.
Thermal screening facilities have been set up at Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda airports and also at Paradip port.
Health director Dr. CVK Mohanty said that about four persons have been suspected to have infected by Corona virus. Their blood samples have been sent to Pune for testing. A medical student of China from Kandhmal district has been kept in isolation. He assured that the spread of Corona virust could be checked as identification and treatment of the virus has become known to health experts.
Stating that the flu season has started so people should not get panic when they get cold and cough.
National Health Mission director Shalini Pandit, Odisha State Medicine Corporation managing director Yamini Sarangi and public health director Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty were present.
