SUH inmates fight back, recover from coronavirus

Bhubaneswar, Sep 22: Setting an extraordinary example of fighting the Novel Corona virus and getting well to lead the normal life again 40 inmates of Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has come victorious and are now leading normal life at their respective facilities. These inmates include various SUHs from Bhimpur, Malisahi (two), Ganga Nagar, Ashok Nagar and Chandrasekharpur. After one of the staff of SUH found Covid posistive, BMC came into action and deployed one team for testing of all the inmates of SUHs. More than 150 inmates were tested of 40 positive cases from different SUHs, those inmates are allowed to stay at Ganganagar SUH separately. Under the direction of BMC, Rapid Response Team visited Ganganagar SUH from time to time for health check-up of all the positive cases and supplied requisite medicine to all the positive patients. BMC also provided free food to all the positive cases. Also, all the SUHS operated in BMC area were sanitized. So, inmates underwent testing by the combined team of BMC-Capital Hospital and those at Chandrasekharpur went to nearby Urban Primary Health Centre and 40 were found positive. However, after getting the instructions from the Rapid Response Team visits, the inmates stayed separately from others and were abiding the tips given by the RRT teams from BMC. Apart from taking the medications from RRTs the inmates were also regularly taking ``kadha’’ twice daily as prescribed by the AYUSH Department of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. BMC officials also informed that the elderly men and women are practicing yoga and physical exercises daily basis to keep them fit over the pandemic situation. The inmates were provided free cooked food. As no one’s condition deteriorated, no one needed any hospitalization. BMC sources informed that out of the 40 positive 25 were in the age group of 35 to 45 years, 11 numbers in the age group of 45 to 55 and four were about 55 to 65 of years. All the positives were kept in isolation in Ganga Nagar with a special rearrangement. Interestingly, no one tested positive from the inmates of Ghatikia and Baramunda. Apart from the care given by BMC and the NGOs operating the shelter for urban homeless as per regular COVID-19 protocol, food was provided free of cost. All the inmates who were tested positive were not allowed to go outside given warm water to drink, use masks, sanitation and other hygienic practices strictly.