WITH ITS VAST EXPERIENCE IN SUCCESSFULLY handling natural disasters, the Odisha government is tackling the challenge posed by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, with utmost caution. It is allowing its cohesive and well-oiled machinery to work without any fuss.
Even before anyone had tested positive for coronavirus infection, the State Cabinet on March 12 declared COVID-19 a “disaster” under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Keeping the virus’ potential threat to communities in mind, the government approved the COVID-19 Odisha Regulations, 2020, and earmarked Rs.200 crore to augment the Public Health Response Fund.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s statement in the State Assembly provided the desired seriousness to the administration as well as the general public.
“Only a few times in the history of mankind have human beings as a race faced challenges beyond their comprehension. With advances in science, this phenomenon has become a rarity,” he said, by way of outlining the gigantic challenge.
“The World Health Organisation has declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic. It has urged upon all member-states to take urgent and aggressive action to contain the spread of the pandemic. This extraordinary circumstance calls for an extraordinary response,” he added. The government was aware that the State’s public health infrastructure was not equipped to bear the burden of patients influx in the stage III (community transmission) spread of the virus, but its strength lay in management and limiting the transmission.
What came next was a well-thought-out strategy. The government constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers and a Committee of Secretaries under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to evaluate the emerging situation on a daily basis.
This story is from the April 10, 2020 edition of FRONTLINE.
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This story is from the April 10, 2020 edition of FRONTLINE.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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