According to reports, used Covid kits like PPE, masks, face shields and other waste materials were found piled up on the river bed for last several days. Some of them were also found floating in the river.
Locals have been noticing the articles for the last few days. However, somebody set afire the bio-medical waste last night.
Dumping of the dangerous waste has been resented local residents, who demanded immediate investigation and action.
“These waste materials have been disposed off on the river bed which is closed to human settlements. We have been noticing these items piled up for last several days. But, last night somebody set them on fire,” a local resident said, demanding proper investigation into the unlawful activities.
He apprehended that the disposal of used covid kits would add to the further spread of the coronavirus in the slum areas which are in close proximity to the Mahanadi river bed.
“If the administration doesn’t take any step to prevent such activities, we will take to the streets, he warned.
Another resident said “Some of the used PPE kits and masks, face shields are thrown into the river water. So, the water may get contaminated. It will further increase the chances of infections as many people in the lower catchment areas depend on the river water for daily use.”
“We don’t know the person/s who abandoned these waste materials, but it is clear these are from the covid hospitals,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cuttack-Barabati MLA Md Moquim expressed concern over poor waste management system in covid hospitals.
In a tweet, he urged the civic body authorities to look into the matter seriously.
“Dumping of hazardous Covid bio-medical waste on Mahanadi river bed can turn to be highly dangerous for the denizens! The waste has also made its way into the river! Requesting @CMCCuttack & @AnanyaDasIAS ji to personally look into this on priority for the safety of the denizens.”
Similar sights have been seen in the State Capital too two days ago. Used PPE kits, masks and face shields were found dumped at various places in Bhubaneswar including airport area, railway station and cremation ground areas.
The initiative is designed to help institutional buyers like nursing homes, hospitals, healthcare NGOs, government agencies and other businesses purchase COVID-19 related items in bulk with GST invoices.
The store has been specifically curated to provide instant access to critical medical supplies and safety products, said Amazon Business, a business-friendly marketplace on Amazon.in.
The store has a wide selection of items like N95 masks, surgical masks, sanitizers, personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, gloves, shoe Covers, PPE suits, facial shields and infrared thermometers, among others, it said.
"The ‘COVID-19 Supplies Store' is our effort towards providing institutional buyers with a one-stop-shop for all their needs around safety and sanitization products," Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Category Management, Amazon India, said in a statement.
"The store seeks to serve bulk buying needs of healthcare professionals and organisations as the nation continues to fight the virus. In these unprecedented times, Amazon remains committed to serving the nation by providing instant access and delivering products safely to customers across the country," Tiwary mentioned.
Institutional buyers can get competitive quotes from multiple suppliers, coupled with safe delivery, Amazon Business said, adding that these business purchases also come with the benefit of bulk pricing and GST invoices to ensure compliance and claim the input tax credit.
(IANS)
Despite the increasing demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, around 40 trucks are stranded at the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMCL) premises in Bhubaneswar for the past several days.
According to sources, OSMCL is not accepting the delivery orders from various MSME suppliers.
"We took the call of the nation to make PPE kits following confirmation from the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd. The initial deadline stated for the month of July has been abruptly ended in May and now OSMCL is not accepting the delivery orders," said a company spokesperson, wishing not to be named.
All trucks carrying the PPE kits of various suppliers are stranded outside the warehouse, he said.
The corporation had floated a tender seeking PPE kits by July. Later, it asked the suppliers that it would not accept delivery after May 26.
Notably, the OSMCL has placed orders for procurement of 15.7 lakh PPE kits, 2.2 crore triple-layer masks, 7.5 lakh N95 masks, 1.7 crore nose clip adaptable masks and other gear for the healthcare workers.
Raghab, a driver from Uttarakhand, informed that around 40 trucks are standing at the OSMCL since the last 8-10 days as it is not accepting the kits.
"My company has sent three trucks to deliver various kits here. But, we are stranded for the last three days as they are not accepting the orders. We don't know why they are not accepting the kits," said the driver.
Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra, additional chief secretary to the health department, told IANS that the matter will be decided on Monday.
"As we have enough stock of PPE kits, we had asked the suppliers not to bring them. The trucks which are on transit have arrived in the meanwhile. We will decide the matter on Monday," said Mohapatra.
(IANS)
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"We have enough PPE kits. A decision was earlier taken that we would not accept delivery after May 26. As several states are presently in need of the kits, those can be diverted to such places," said Das.
He further said that a decision in this regard will be taken in the procurement committee meeting scheduled to be held on Monday.
"Odisha government had taken a lot of precautions much earlier and that's the reason we have adequate stock of the PPE kits," he added.
As per reports, OSMCL had earlier invited tender seeking PPE kits by July. Though suppliers from several states sent the kits, Odisha had informed the suppliers that no kits would be accepted after May 26.
As per reports, over 20 trucks laden with PPE kits are stranded outside the warehouse of OSMCL for the last several days as the corporation is not accepting the delivery orders from the various MSME suppliers.
“They are not receiving the PPE kits and told us to return it. We are stranded here with the trucks for the last several days. Now, we have been told to wait till Monday. We have nothing to eat and there is no arrangement for our safety," said a truck driver from Punjab, Parbinder Singh.
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(Edited By Suryakant Jena)
Several trucks carrying the personal protective equipment (PPE) kits of various suppliers are standing outside the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd (OSMCL) in Bhubaneswar since past several days as it had refused to accept the kits.
The procurement committee, which met on Monday, decided to purchase the PPE kits from the suppliers. The PPE kits that have already arrived will be accepted, said an official.
The official said that the OSMCL has already procured 8.63 lakh PPE kits, which will be sent to various districts.
IANS was first to report that OSMCL is not accepting the delivery orders from various MSME suppliers.
OSMCL had floated a tender inviting for procurement of the kits. The initial deadline was the month of July. However, it has been abruptly ended in May. It informed the suppliers that it would not accept delivery after May 26.
The government's plea was that it has enough stock of PPE kits.
Earlier, Health Minister Naba Das had said that the State doesn’t need more kits as it has sufficient stock of the same.
“We have enough PPE kits. A decision was earlier taken that we would not accept delivery after May 26. As several states are presently in need of the kits, those can be diverted to such places,” said Das.
“Odisha government had taken a lot of precautions much earlier and that’s the reason we have adequate stock of the PPE kits,” he added.
(With Agency Inputs)
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State Congress leader Sudarshan Das said that Odisha government procured mask costing Rs 1.5 per piece at Rs 16. Health Minister Naba Das said the Centre has directed the State to procure masks at Rs 10 and also Rs 16. The Minister has failed to understand the difference between retail and wholesale price as the Centre's advisory on retail price," he said.
He further said that the State Health Minister is not aware of many things as the masks which Odisha has bought at Rs 16 was procured by several other states like Gujarat and Telangana through the 'government e-marketing portal' at Rs 2.40 and Rs 1.34 per piece respectively.
"We pity on him... He should resign as he does not have the moral rights to hold the post," said the Congress leader.
The day when Hemant Sharma told that the State government has sanctioned a blank cheque for the procurement of kits, Congress had expressed concerns that such decisions will only lead to corruption and weaken the State's fight against COVID-19, he added.
State BJP general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan also lashed out at the Health Minister and said, "If the State government had fixed the maximum price per mask at Rs 10, how come it purchased them at Rs 16 each on April 17."
Instead of making false and baseless statements, the Health Minister should clarify on the lapses, he said.
Odisha government had earlier removed IAS officer Hemant Sharma from the State Covid-19 purchase committee following allegations of lapses in procurement of PPE kits.
Moreover, Minister Naba Das today refuted Hemant Sharma’s statement about government sanctioning a blank cheque for procurement of kits and said that the State government never had granted any blank cheque to anyone.
Edited By Suryakant Jena
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According to ASHA workers, they are conducting door to door visits and exposing themselves to the virus as they spend hours in the scorching heat to trace and collect data of quarantined people. While they claim that they have consistently raised their concerns, such allegations pose a question whether the State government is really concerned about the safety of these ground workers.
“We are working at the ground level and helping people, but getting humiliated instead. We are not getting masks, hand gloves or sanitizers. There are no facilities for us,” alleged an ASHA worker.
Several ASHA workers recently staged a silent protest and submitted a memorandum to Bhanjanagar sub-collector alleging that they are being denied entry to hospitals and even misbehaved by the security guards at the behest of the Sub Divisional Medical Officer (SDMO).
While refusing to speak anything in front of camera, the SDMO said that the decision has been taken to contain the spread of COVID-19 infection.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 COVID warriors tested positive in the district today and in a span of a week, as many as 63 corona warriors have been infected by the virus. Ganjam even tops as the district with highest COVID-19 positive cases with tally at 1,030. Recoveries in the district are currently at 729 and death toll at 8.
While Ganjam district administration has announced a complete lockdown till June 30, it has ordered that all government offices will be closed for citizens for next 10 days in view of some senior officers getting infected with COVID-19.
(Edited By Bikram Keshari Jena)
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The Centre has been strengthening the health infrastructure to fight the pandemic and effectively manage it. Along with augmenting Covid-19 facilities, the government has been providing medical supplies free of cost to the states and union territories to supplement their efforts.
"Since 11th March 2020, the Union Government has distributed more than 3.04 crore N95 masks and more than 1.28 crore PPE kits to states, UTs, Central Institutions, free of cost. Also, more than 10.83 crore HCQ tablets have been distributed to them," the government said.
In addition, 22,533 'Make in India' ventilators have been delivered and their "installation and commissioning is also being ensured".
"Most of the products supplied by the Government of India were not being manufactured in the country in the beginning. The rising global demand due to the pandemic resulted in their scarce availability in the foreign markets," it added.
As a result, resolve for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' has been strengthened and most of the supplies made by the Union Government are domestically manufactured.
With the combined efforts of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Pharmaceuticals, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and others, the domestic industry has been encouraged and facilitated to manufacture and supply essential medical equipment like PPEs, N95 masks, ventilators, etc., during this period.
(IANS)
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GloAir, produced by Glowtronics of Mysuru, has been designed to make life comfortable and efficient for the doctors and frontline Covid fighters.
Jagan Gupta, executive director, on a visit to Agra, Mathura, told IANS, that his organisation was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to go ‘swadeshi’ and to support governmental efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, we have produced this unique safety kit. “GLOAIR” keeps the whole body sweat-free and comfortable enabling the wearer to put in long hours of work.
Gupta said it would now be possible for doctors and frontline COVID warriors to work longer without the discomforts and hassles associated with conventional PPE kits that often result in profuse perspiration and a feeling of suffocation. “Gloair” will add to the arsenal required to supplement efforts to contain the spread of the Coronavirus and equip the doctors to address the health hazards.
“Our continuous interactions with doctors at the hospitals where Covid patients were being treated, highlighted the hassles of wearing PPEs for long hours resulting in not only fatigue and loss of energy due to lack of fresh air to various parts of the body. To overcome this inadequacy, we worked on developing a kit that allowed for circulation of fresh, filtered air for the whole body,” Gupta explained.
“Our system filters out most airborne contaminants, as we are using filters that have a viral removal efficacy of 99.99 per cent, and can be used for up to 100 hours. The Gloair PPE kit is equipped with air blower, air filters, motor, power bank, charger, waist belt and a user manual. It is a comfortable with light weight design that does not require any external help to put on or take off. We have deliberately kept the unit price affordable to make Gloair’s large-scale use possible,” the company director added.
Asked to explain the operation of the system, Gupta said, “the Gloair PPE kit has a tube connected to the air outlet of the air supply module. To turn on the air supply, the USB connector from the air supply module is plugged into the power bank which starts the motor of the blower to pump in filtered air into the full body PPE kit through the connecting air tube. The air flow can be increased or reduced by using a Flow Control Knob. A fully charged Power Bank will supply air up to eight hours in normal conditions.”
Another problem faced by users is that the eyeglasses or visor gets fogged out due to perspiration thereby obstructing view. The Gloair PPE has a larger visor that provides clear vision without fogging because of the continuous supply of filtered air. For details visit our website www.Glowtronics.com, he added.
Gupta said that the company is planning to market Gloair in a big way to support Government efforts to fight the pandemic, as also to provide a user friendly PPE to secure the health of the Corona warriors who have been relentlessly waging this war for more than a year.
It was a wedding in line with the Covid-19 era, with both the bridegroom and bride dressed in PPE suit following all ceremonies of the marriage along with the Government's COVID protocols.
The ceremony's video has gone viral on social media.
In viral video, the couple can be seen sitting at the havan kund while following all rituals of the marriage as was being told to them by the priest who also spotted a PPE suit.
#WATCH Rajasthan: A couple gets married at Kelwara Covid Centre in Bara, Shahbad wearing PPE kits as bride's #COVID19 report came positive on the wedding day.
The marriage ceremony was conducted following the govt's Covid protocols. pic.twitter.com/6cSPrJzWjR
— ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2020
Here's how the netizens reacted:
Signs of shear dedication 🤪 https://t.co/Ih6r4JkaFm
— Dr. Vivek Nanda (@DrViveknanda) December 7, 2020
Dulha To PPE Kit : pic.twitter.com/7mjJqrZ8Ik
— Candy Cough🌈 (@kya_kroge_) December 6, 2020
Kids marry in hall
Adults marry in temple
Legends marry in COVID Centre
— Shreyas Shenvi Ambe (@Am_Shrey01) December 6, 2020
Great Indian Pandemic Wedding 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
— NamuPrafullsenShroff 1982- 45FourtyFive 💫💫 (@pooja_shah82) December 6, 2020