An Irish national who was suspected of having being exposed to coronavirus infection fled a hospital in Cuttack after officials took him there for check-up.

The Irish national escaped from Cuttack's SCB Medical College and Hospital on Thursday night. He had been brought to the hospital on the suspicion that he may have contracted COVID-19. This was because his body temperature was found to be slightly higher than normal when he was screened at the Bhubaneswar airport.

Following the screening, he was immediately taken to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar and was later referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for supervision and treatment.

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However, he managed to sneak out of the hospital on Thursday night. When the hospital authorities were unable to track him, they informed local police and lodged a complaint. The police are trying to trace him.

Speaking about this case, Emergency Officer of SCB Hospital Bhuban Moharana said, "A foreign national was referred from Capital Hospital to SCB. He was accompanied by his employee. The ward for suspected coronavirus patients is on the fourth floor. The attendant who had accompanied him took the referral slip and went to the doctor of the ward concerned and discussed about the patient. The doctor was informed that the Irish national is waiting at the ground floor. The doctor asked the attendant to bring the patient upstairs. But the Irish national was missing. The doctor informed hospital authorities and we have informed police about it."

Meanwhile, the Odisha government on Thursday issued an advisory to schools to create awareness among students about common preventive interventions like hand hygiene and respiratory etiquettes.

As on Thursday, 129 travellers who had returned from countries in the grip of coronavirus after January 15, have been identified and kept under home quarantine, officials said.

Odisha has not reported any positive case so far, a bulletin issued by the health and family welfare department said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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