This story is from July 9, 2020

192 fire services personnel recover from Covid-19

At least 192 Odisha fire services personnel, who tested positive for Covid-19 following their return from post-Amphan restoration work in West Bengal, have recovered. Many of them have already resumed duty.
192 fire services personnel recover from Covid-19
Representative image
BHUBANESWAR: At least 192 Odisha fire services personnel, who tested positive for Covid-19 following their return from post-Amphan restoration work in West Bengal, have recovered. Many of them have already resumed duty.
The state government had on May 24 sent a team of 372 firemen to Bengal to carry out restoration work. All of them returned on June 5 and were kept in institutional quarantine.
On June 9, 12 of them tested positive for Covid-19. Subsequently, 180 more personnel were found to be positive.
“We are happy that all the 192 personnel who tested positive have been cured. Many of them have joined duty while others are in 15-day home quarantine after being discharged from Covid hospitals. All are fine and healthy. The other 180 personnel, who tested negative from the beginning, have already joined duty,” DGP (fire services and home guards) Satyajit Mohanty told TOI. The 192 personnel were accorded a rousing welcome by their colleagues in Cuttack after being discharged from hospitals in phases.
Those who tested positive for the novel coronavirus heaved a sigh of relief after being cured. “Though I was nervous after being detected with the virus, my seniors and doctors kept my morale high. I regained my patience and mental strength. Along with 10 of my colleagues, I recovered in seven to ten days,” Ajay Kumar Paikray, station officer from Kabisurya Nagar in Ganjam district, said.
Sunil Chandra Das, another recovered fireman, said the government arranged free transport for him and his colleagues to their homes after they were discharged. “I stayed in home quarantine for 15 days after being discharged. I joined duty last week. During my home quarantine, our seniors had regularly been inquiring after my health,” said Das, a fireman in Rayagada station.
The recovered personnel said they find the workplace same as before. “I am cured. I feared that friends and colleagues might maintain distance from me but nothing like that happened. My colleagues are cooperative and I find my workplace comfortable,” Das said.

DGP (fire services) Mohanty said adequate prevention measures have been taken to keep the employees free of Covid-19. “I held a video conference with our officers on Monday and asked them to segregate personnel according to their age and comorbidities. Any duty that may require an officer’s exposure to the virus is not being given to personnel above 50 years of age with previous ailments,” Mohanty said.
IGP (fire services and home guards) Asheet Panigrahi said. “We have engaged Covid compliance officers at our offices. They will conduct weekly audit and monitor compliance of Covid-19 guidelines to prevent infections.”
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About the Author
Debabrata Mohapatra

Debabrata Mohapatra is an Assistant Editor at The Times of India, Bhubaneswar. He had been writing for TOI from Puri since 2006 before joining the Bhubaneswar bureau in August 2010. He covers crime, law & order and Congress.

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