Analyse COVID situation, redesign strategy: Chief secretary to officials

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 28 (ANI): Odisha chief secretary Asit Tripathy directed all districts officials to analyse the changing COVID situation and redesign the strategy to handle it.
"Analyse the COVID situation in your district and redesign your strategy to manage the crisis," Tripathy directed collectors and chief district medical officers (CDMOs) through a video conference on Monday.
Tripathy reviewed the extent of surveillance, quantum of testing, availability of Covid care centres, Covid health facilities, medicines and test kits. He directed collectors and CDMOs to make prior arrangements keeping in view the likely situation till the end of August.
Additional chief secretary health and family welfare Pradeepta Kumar Mohapatra said, "We have sufficient stock of testing kits and medicines. Around 1,16,000 antigen test kits have already been supplied to the districts. These will be provided to each district as per demand."
He also asked collectors to enhance daily sample collection to at least 500. The hot spot districts were asked to scale up the sample collection up to 1,000 per day for early detection and treatment. They were asked to use the antigen test kits and upload the test results on the ICMR portal daily.
The treating doctors were advised to take up plasma therapy as per the standard protocol. The collectors were advised to support plasma collection in all possible ways. It was decided that since plasma collection requires two days' activity (one day for different tests and another for collection), the donors would be provided food and accommodation facilities at the headquarters of the plasma banks.
Collectors were directed to fix the place of their stay and make all logistic arrangements for smooth collection of the plasma. It was also decided to provide travel assistance to the donors wherever required. (ANI)