Bhubaneswar: Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress Sunday came down heavily on the state government over the alleged lack of adequate hospital beds and quarantine centres in the coastal state to fight the pandemic.
BJP state president Samir Mohanty said, “In the current scenario, there is an urgent need to revive as well as set up quarantine centres in the state. This would help us curb the spread of the Covid-19.”
Mohanty also demanded intensifying Covid testing in the state. “If the Covid testing at community as well as primary health centres is not intensified, the state will certainly fail in achieving the desired goal—fighting the pandemic,” he said, demanding an intensified testing across the state.
Congress leader Suresh Routray, on the other hand, lashed out at the state government alleging lack of hospital beds for treating Covid patients.
“I want to appeal to the Chief Minister not to rely on the bureaucrats on Covid management. There has been a massive shortage of hospital beds in the state owing to which Covid patients are suffering a lot. We need more ICU beds,” Routray said, alleging that the state government of concealing the actual Covid deaths which, according to him, are much higher.
BJD leader Ananta Narayan Jena, however, said that the state government is working at a ‘good pace’ ensuring healthcare facilities, including Covid vaccination.
Jena said, “The vaccination programme is on at good pace. Whatever amount of vaccine doses we are getting from the Centre, we are giving it to the people. At this hour of crisis, we have to work together. Whatever health facilities the government is providing at the time of a pandemic is a welcome step.”
PNN
