Odisha’s response to Covid earns praise from WHO

BHUBANESWAR: Having won accolades from world bodies for effectively tackling cyclones, Odisha has now earned appreciation from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
An article published on WHO’s website, ‘From governance to community resilience: Odisha’s response to COVID-19,’ praises the effective governance and community-based strategies employed by the state, saying the same helped keep its caseload low.

Last year, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) had praised Odisha’s handling of cyclone Fani.
“Known for its track record of efficiently handling natural disasters, including the recent cyclone, the state has managed to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic quite efficiently,” the WHO article said.
Pointing out the challenge of evacuating people maintaining social distancing when Cyclone Amphan caused damage in the state amid the pandemic in May, the article stated, “Evacuating the stranded people safely while adhering to social distancing measures was challenging but the state’s experience in disaster management helped in managing the situation.”
It added, “Effective governance in collaboration with panchayati raj institutions and community-based response strategy enabled the resilient state to contain the spread of the virus. The state’s Covid-19 management strategy offers important insights that kept the caseload low despite the huge influx of migrants.”
The article comes at a time when the state government is under attack from opposition parties for alleged mismanagement in the Covid situation.
Commenting on the WHO article, health minister Naba Kishore Das said, “This is a huge morale booster for our frontline workers and Covid warriors. The recognition from the highest healthcare body in the world means a lot. The fight is not over yet. It only makes our resolve stronger.”
AIIMS Bhubaneswar director Gitanjali Batmanabane said a key reason behind the success of Odisha’s Covid strategy is its responsive people. “The people have been extraordinarily receptive to the government’s call. They deserve applause. This apart, the healthcare workers have shown utmost dedication,” she said.
Odisha’s death rate from Covid, at 0.38%, is among the lowest in the country (national average is 1.5%). More than 8.5 lakh migrants returned to the state after the lockdown was imposed in March.
Notably, the state had created temporary medical centres where returnees were quarantined for two to four weeks. The state has spent around Rs 135 crore from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to give incentives to people who successfully completed institutional quarantine at the rate of Rs 2,000 each, the article pointed out.
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