In a bid to provide better healthcare facilities to COVID19 patients in Odisha, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) facilty has been set up at the government-run SCB Medical College in Cuttack. The critically ill COVID19 patients are expected to receive free treatment at the hospital.
While inaugurating the ECMO facility in Cuttack yesterday on August 27, state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that it is the largest medical facility of its kind in eastern India as it is equipped with nine ECMO machines.
“The ECMO plays a life-saving role for critical COVID-19 patients. Seriously ill COVID-19 patients of Odisha will no longer be required to go outside to avail this treatment,” CM Patnaik said. An ECMO machine provides prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to critically ill patients.
Patnaik pointed out that a number of critically ill COVID19 patients require ECMO treatment post-recovery and earlier, the government used to airlift such patients either to Hyderabad or Kolkata.
Patnaik said ECMO treatment is expensive but the state government will make the treatment available free of cost. “The state government will bear all the expenses,” he assured.
