Odisha Fights Corona: 1.4K Corona Warriors on battlefield, 3.18 lakh on ready mode!

Bhubaneswar: The battle with novel coronavirus is being fought with the precision of war, globally. Like war, nations have meticulously prepared strategies - operational and tactical - to take on the expansionist agenda and imperialistic designs of Chinese-origin COVID.

Odisha too is not behind. The total corona warriors deployed in the frontiers in State's 27 COVID hospitals total to 1,460 - almost over one-and-a-half battalion (a battalion consists of 900 soldiers).

As the State's COVID hospitals are working round the clock in three shifts, the doctors in the battle are counted at 309, strength of nurses 768 and paramedic force estimated at 383.

Besides, a high of 526 helping staff are engaged in the COVID battlefield to assist the frontline warriors in the State.

To fight the long-term expansionist COVID19 battle, massive pooling of human resources is essential to win it. Towards this end, as per Union government data, Odisha also has a massive reserve of 3.18 lakh professionals equivalent to 166 battalions ready for frontline deployment to defeat the COVID designs.

As per the data available with both the State and Union governments, Odisha's reserve frontline unit comprises of 18,944 doctors, 1589 dentists and 3,500 MBBS students. Besides, the frontier reserve also includes a colossal 72,547 nurses and 32,386 pharmacists plus 322 lab volunteers.

Moreover, as per Union Health Ministry assessment, Odisha can also utilise the services of 17,718 Ayush doctors and 3,866 vets in its fight against COVID in the State.

Besides, Odisha also has a massive 3.18 lakh human resources, including 1.337 lakh anganwadi workers and 47,344 ASHA karmis, in the guise of volunteers to fight the COVID-19 in a campaign mode.

To bring the COVID-19 on its knees, the State has battalions of foot soldiers like Anganwadi workers, ASHA karmis, NCC, trained health professionals under PM Kaushal Vikas Yojana, NSS and NYKS volunteers, trained DDU-GKY workers, trained health workers under NRLM etc.

It is these foot soldiers who not only launch an aggressive campaign against COVID at the village level with dos and don'ts but also ensure adherence to the prime preventive measures like social distancing in public places such as  banks, ration shops, mandis etc or ensuring reach of essentials in the containment zones etc, explained Odisha IAS cadre officer Arun Panda, Union Secretary MSME and Chairman of Centre's Empowered Group-4 on COVID (Modi govt has constituted 11 empowered groups on COVID).

In a letter to State Chief Secretary recently, the Centre had asked the State to prepare a district-wise contingency/crisis management plan to contain COVID spread. The letter has also asked the State to rationalise the availability of the manpower, and deploy them in such zones vulnerable to COVID spread. 

In the given context, Centre has labelled the repository as a very 'critical human resource' essential for 'combating' and 'containing' COVID-19. Observers are of the view that the role of foot soldiers will grow enormously in the aftermath of May 3, when lockdown 2.0 makes an exit from the State.