Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought the advice of top health experts of the country on the strategy to tackle the future waves of the covid pandemic and on how to strengthen the healthcare system further.
Addressing the first Vaccination Advisory Committee meeting of the State here on Friday, Mr Patnaik said, “We need to fine-tune our processes the defeat the Corona virus with your advice”.
Eminent health experts and doctors, Dr K Srinath Reddy (Chairman), Dr Devi Shetty, Dr Ramakanta Panda, Dr Subrat Acharya, Dr Lalit Kant, Dr Mrudula Phadke, Dr Subrata Acharya Dr Datteswar Hota, Dr E Venkat Rao, Dr Sanghamitra Pati, Dr MR Patnaik Dr Ajay Parida and Dr CVK Mohanty (Convenor) attended the meeting.
“We have been able to manage the oxygen support systems and even provided help to other states for their oxygen systems. We have been able to manage without our health care systems getting over overwhelmed”, he added.
Patnaik claimed that the current trend of the Covid cases is on a decline across the state except for a few districts in Odisha.
“The second wave is beginning to recede, adding now the focus should be on vaccination. The state government intend to utilise all resources to quickly vaccinate the people,” the Chief Minister said
Expressing his concern, on the next wave, he said that all of us are concerned about the next wave and if it’s going to affect the children and if it’s true, then we will have to be better prepared since taking care of the children in the hospitals is a big challenge.
Chairman of the Committee Dr K Srinath Reddy advised on different strategies for advance planning which could possibly be taken up as per the advice of the expert doctors.
The doctors have made presentations based on the present situation in Odisha. The doctors expressed that the virus is likely to stay for long as flu and continuing vaccination process is much better and cost effective than lockdown which is effecting the economy, causing great financial pressure on many families and businesses.
