Bhubaneswar: The state government will construct a Covid-19 Warriors Memorial at the Biju Patnaik Park here to keep alive the memory of the supreme sacrifice made by them, an official said Monday.
The proposed memorial will be inaugurated on the Independence Day this year, he said, adding the Works department has been assigned the job of constructing the structure.
Many people including health workers, police personnel, teachers and sanitation workers have laid down their lives while working as frontline workers during the pandemic. Covid-19 is once in a century pandemic and In order to keep it (sacrifice) in the memory of people as well as to recognize the sacrifice and service rendered by the Covid-19 warriors who have lost their lives fighting the pandemic, the government has decided to construct a COVID-19 Warrior Memorial, additional chief secretary to the health and family welfare, P K Mohapatra said.
DGP Abhay said that 48 police personnel have laid down their lives while fighting against the pandemic.
He said police personnel had also donated the highest number of plasma units for the treatment of the critical Covid-19 patients.
The police personnel from 46 per cent of the total plasma donors in the state, he said.
In a Twitter post, he said there are 2,166 plasma donors in Odisha of which 1002 are the Odisha Police.
The first plasma donors of Odisha Police are two members of Odisha State Armed Police 3rd Battalion, Koraput.
They donated plasma at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack on 24, July 2020, the DGP said.
AS police personnel are listed as frontline Covid-19 warriors, their vaccination drive began in the second phase February 6.