Puri: Covid-19 infections in a number of villages in Puri district has been on the rise for the last few days. Locals blamed the district administration for the rise in Covid cases.
The district administration should send mobile testing vans to the villages and create awareness among the residents regarding the dangers associated with Covid-19, observed Jitendra Kumar Majhi, a resident of Nuagaon village under Krushnaprasad block.
According to sources, the Covid-19 situation in Nuagaon, Phulabari, Titipi, Deopada, Badajhar and Gomundia villages are turning worse by the day. There are symptomatic patients in almost all families. However, fearing ostracisation, the families are hiding the cases. Even when people are dying, the real cause behind the deaths is not being disclosed.
Vaccination is continuing at a very slow pace in the district. Locals alleged that the officials are allegedly laying emphasis on vaccinating people in Puri town only. Hence, in rural areas, people who received first dose of vaccine two months ago are still waiting to get the second jab.
Intellectuals have asked the administration to give equal importance to vaccination in rural areas as well. Since the supply of vaccine is not adequate, the doses should be distributed equally, they observed.
In villages of Brahmagiri, Puri Sadar, Krushnaparasad, Sakhigopal and Delang, some villagers alleged that 42 days have elapsed since they received their first dose. Since then they have been waiting for the second dose, but still have not got any messages on their mobiles.
District health officer Biraja Shankar Rath blamed the CoWin app. He said it is not functioning properly and so communication with people has suffered.
Shortage of oxygen cylinders is another headache for the district administration. Krushnaprasad tehsil can be taken as a case in point. The tehsil has a population of over a lakh. However, it has only 10 0xygen cylinders to cater to the need of the people.
When contacted, drugs inspector Satyabrata Giri however, contradicted the information. He said for exigencies, 543 oxygen cylinders have been kept ready at the district headquarters hospital. Similarly, the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), which is functioning as a COVID-19 treatment centre, has 199 cylinders. He added that the district has 149 D-Type cylinders which can be used for ICU patients and 394 B-Type cylinders.
PNN
