As the novel Coronavirus (nCoV) has spread its tentacles in China and a few cases have been reported in some parts of India, the Odisha Government on Saturday asked major hospitals and airports in the State to closely monitor the situation and create facilities for management.
Director of Public Health Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty wrote a letter to this effect to SCBMCH, Cuttack; VSSMCH, Burla; Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar; CDMO of Jharsuguda hospital; Director of Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar; Director of Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda; CDMO of Paradip Port Trust Hospital; General Manager of East Coast Railway/ South Eastern Railway.
Following a 5T review meeting chaired by the Health Secretary, the Government issued the following advisory to the hospitals and airports: Any travel-related cases reported to the community would be picked up and contact shall be followed up by the integrated disease surveillance programme as per the interim guideline V1 (WHO) January 2020. The airport authorities in the State will establish screening centres and report the identification of such cases to the CDM & PHO of the districts and Director, Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar in case of Biju Patnaik International Airport The superintendents of major hospitals will function as the nodal centres for isolation and management of cases reported to them. The Paradip Port Trust Hospital and the railway authorities will be requested to create their own facilities for isolation and management of such cases as this condition is travel-related.