A few weeks back, Gitarani Maharana died in a hospital in Odisha after battling Covid-19 for a week.

During this period, her family was completely unaware of her deteriorating health condition as the hospital did not allow any communication between her and her family members. The hospital just informed the family about her death the day she passed away.

Maharana’s case is not unique. Relatives of most Covid patients in the state have similar experiences. Complaints of hospitals not allowing any communication with patients leading to them suffering bouts of depression, a contributing factor to the deterioration of their health, have been pouring in from different parts of the state.

“Most of the patients died due to fear. Once they get admitted in a hospital and remain isolated from their families, the feeling of loneliness makes them even more vulnerable. They need to talk to their family members,” Dr Meenakhi Mohanty told The Telegraph.

But there is now a ray of hope for such patients with the Malkangiri district administration coming out with an innovative plan to alleviate the stress and boost their morale while in isolation in hospitals. The district administration has introduced E-Sakshyat or virtual meeting of the patients with their family members.

“We have introduced the E-Sakshyat of patients with their relatives. The relatives can talk to bed-ridden patients and can take feedback from them about their treatment,” Malkangiri district collector Yeddula Vijay told this newspaper.

In order to facilitate E–Sakshyat, the district administration has opened a centre in front of the district Covid care centre. Two large monitors with Zoom videoconferencing application have been installed at the centre. Similarly, a monitor and TV screens have been provided to each of the Covid care and Covid health centres. This will help patients communicate with their families.

“It has been done with a good intention and has already started showing results. Patients and their relatives are happy. Since a lot of patients suffer psychologically due to stress we are sure this mechanism will provide them relief,” Malkangiri chief district medical officer P.K. Nanda told this newspaper.

The state registered 11,807 fresh Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the virus caseload to 524,207. The state also reported 21 deaths due to the virus taking the number of fatalities to 2,161. Malkangiri district reported 175 new cases.

In some parts of the state, especially in rural areas, a social stigma is being attached to those suffering from the disease. The fear of getting infected is playing on the minds of people who are refusing even to perform the last rites of their own family members succumbing to the virus.

In one such case reported from Badamba block of Cuttack district, the relatives of a 63-year-old woman, who died of Covid-19, did not turn up to perform her last rites forcing two local officers to conduct her cremation.

A young doctor Udaya Jyoti Mallick and local tehsildar Debdutt Dutta Mahant cremated her body at Ichapur, the woman’s native village, instead of taking her to the Cuttack city crematorium, around 50km away.