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BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Monday asked hospitals, both government and private, to avoid non-essential hospitalizations and defer elective surgeries in view of second wave of Covid infections.
A fresh set of guidelines issued by the state issued by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) asked the hospitals to stop all elective surgeries while take up emergency surgeries with universal precaution.
Amid rising Covid infections, the government asked the hospitals to suspend central registration of patients, to avoid crowds in queue, for OPD care. Instead, it asked them to do manual registration by maintaining social distancing.
The government move came on a day the state witnessed 1,741 new infections and two deaths. The state has been reporting more than 1,000 new cases per day for past four days. The state now has 9,259 active cases.
Dharmendra Pradhan
BHUBANESWAR: Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday appealed the BJP workers to double their effort to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a new and self-reliant Odisha. He said this while attending the state executive meeting of Odisha BJP.
“We should not work to become an MLA or MP of an area, but we need to work for the all-round development of Odisha under PM’s Purvodaya call by taking it as a political mission,” said Pradhan.
He said BJP is doing well due to the hard work of party workers and blessings of the people. “It is reflected in the 2019 election too. With the mantra of Seva, Sangathan, Sampark and Sangharsh, the BJP Odisha family is committed to serve the people of Odisha and also fulfil PM’s vision of Purvodaya and Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.
Subha Laxmi (left) with other ragpickers.
BHUBANESWAR: Subha Laxmi (35), a ragpicker, is very excited. She has been trained to drive a battery operated vehicle and will soon start collecting waste from people’s doorsteps. “Apart from an assured monthly income, it will be a dignified job,” says the mother of three children, two sons and a daughter.
“I want my children to study. They will be encouraged more if I do an honourable job,” says the Class VI dropout and native of Kalibari slum in Bhubaneswar. While her eldest son (17) is in Class XII, the other is in Class VI. The daughter (5) is yet to start school. Her husband works in an eatery.