Three days after successfully withstanding the cyclonic fury’s onslaught, the Odisha government on Saturday decided to include disaster and pandemic management in the academic curriculum of high schools and colleges.
A resolution in this regard was unanimously passed in the Council of Ministers meeting chaired today by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The students, elected representatives, government officials, Mission Shakti members will be imparted training in disaster and pandemic preparedness, Patnaik said after chairing the meeting convened today on the occasion of completion of second year of the term of government by the regional outfit BJD.
“This is a historic step and will enable and empower our future generations to withstand the vagaries of nature whether it is biological or climatic. Odisha will stand out in saving peoples lives. It flows from our realisation that community preparedness is a key to disaster management,” he said.
Stating that the State is being globally acclaimed as a model of disaster management, Patnaik said “our State has been affected by two waves of infection so far. We have been able to ensure that all the healthcare systems are in place and we are not overwhelmed by the spread of the infection.
“Our government has been taking proactive steps to ensure that we are always ahead of the curve and in control of the situation. While other states had to unfortunately grapple with oxygen shortages, our government has been able to successfully manage the oxygen logistics for our hospitals and we have even provided oxygen to other states, saving many precious lives. However, we have a long way to go in Covid management. We are now focused on vaccination and mobilizing all possible resources to vaccinate and protect our people at the earliest,” he concluded.