Bhubaneswar, Jul 15 (IANS): The Odisha government has decided for temporary engagement of 7,000 health workers in Covid Care Homes across the state, said an official on Wednesday.

The Health Department has issued an order for temporary engagement of trained manpower for Covid Care homes covering 6,798 panchayats in the state.

The base level health activity in these Covid Care Homes will be managed by unemployed trained and registered ANMs.

One ANM will remain in charge of one Covid care home. In case of non-availability of ANMs, registered staff nurses and pharmacists will be engaged, the order said.

"For the purpose, it has been decided to engage at least one unemployed ANM per each proposed Covid Care Home in each Panchayat. In case, this category of manpower (unemployed ANMs) is not available, unemployed registered Staff Nurses or Pharmacists can be engaged in place of ANMs," the Department said.

While ANMs are entitled to get a remuneration of Rs 850 per day, staff nurses or pharmacists will be engaged at a remuneration of Rs 1,000 per day.

The engagement is purely temporary, for a period of three months or till Covid care homes are functional.