The Health and Family Welfare Department of Odisha has announced recently to established a COVID-19 Warrior Memorial in Bhubaneshwar.

Key Facts

=> The memorial will be set to recognize and honour the sacrifice and services provided by the COVID-19 warriors.

=> The press release of state Health and Family Welfare Department highlights that the memorial will be set in the Biju Patnaik Park in Bhubaneshwar.

=> This memorial will be inaugurated August 15, 2021 as the Odisha Government has planned.

=> The works department of the Odisha Government have been tasked with the architect to finalise the structure and design of the memorial.

=> Following this, the final approval will be taken from the competent authority.

=> The cost of the memorial project will be made out of the budgetary provisions of the Works Department.

Why this memorial is being constructed?

The Chief Secretary of Health Department, PK Mohapatra, stated that the Covid-19 pandemic is kind of once in a century pandemic. Thus, to keep the health crisis in the memory of the people and to recognize & honour the services provided by the frontline workers this Covid-19 warrior memorial will be constructed. The memorial will also honour the sacrifices made by the frontline warriors who lost their lives while fighting with the pandemic. In Odisha, around 60 Covid-19 warriors and health workers died amid the pandemic.

Background

The COVID-19 war memorial is being constructed in the backdrop of announcement made by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik in 2020. The chief minister had announced in the year 2020 that, all the health personnel and support services staffs who died due to the Coronavirus pandemic, will be given the status of martyr. The government had also announced Rs. 50 lakh ex-gratia to all the public and private health personnel and the members of all the support services who died while providing services amid the pandemic.