Buguda: Amid return of migrants from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the second wave of Covid-19 is playing spoiler in Buguda town and its peripheral areas in Ganjam district.
Although there are no official records on Covid casualties, unofficial sources said 21 people have died of the disease. But it is not clear if they have died of Covid while scores of people in villages have been down with fever and cold. They are under treatment at their homes.
Reports said, 1,729 migrants have returned to Buguda while 34 of them are Andhra returnees. The Andhra returnees have become a cause of concern for local residents as the Andhra strain of the virus is said to be more lethal than others.
Locals alleged that the problem was that there are no TMCs and Covid hospitals in nearby areas till now. It was learnt that 26 people Thursday tested positive for the virus.
The administration has provided Covid medicine kits to 131 infected people while scores of people are under treatment in hospitals. The government has proposed three Covid Care Centres (CCCs) in the block.
Golia Adarsh Vidyalay, one of the three CCCs, is to be equipped with 100 beds including 30 oxygen beds. The local sarpanch has provided electricity, drinking water, toilets and other facilities at a cost of Rs 2 lakh, but the CCC is yet be functional when the pandemic is spiraling.
Only critical patients are being sent to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur. Locals said the administration claims to have made a provision for TMCs for the migrants, but the latter bypass TMCs and stay at their homes.
The administration has opened antigen and RTPCR tests at Balipadar and Manitara. But it was alleged that people with fever and cold don’t come out for Covid test.
PNN
