As India enters the third stage of the coronavirus outbreak, the Odisha government is taking proactive steps to prepare for any potential spike in the state by setting up exclusive hospitals designated to treat COVID-19 patients. Two hospitals, estimated to be functional within fifteen days, and having a combined capacity of a thousand beds are being set up.
The Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government has signed two tripartite agreements with SUM and Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) at Lok Sewa Bhawan to set up the hospitals necessary for treating the afflicted victims. The funding for the hospital will be provided by the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) exercise. Recently, the central government had tweaked the CSR rules to permit corporate donations, which helps combat the coronavirus pandemic, to be treated as part of the mandatory CSR.
Additionally, the OMC has also contributed a sum of ₹500 crores to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) to aid the government in the fight against coronavirus in the state. The Chief Minister praised both the OMC and the MCL for their contributions in such times of adversity. On a personal front, Naveen Patnaik has also donated three months’ worth of his salary to the CMRF.