Bhubaneswar,  Odisha Health Minister Naba Kishore Das on Monday said that over Rs 479.90 crore expenditure was incurred on the treatment of Covid-19 patients in the dedicated facilities, which are being run in partnership with private players in the state.

Replying to a written question, the Minister told the Assembly that so far the state government has allotted Rs 344.55 crore to the private hospitals for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

In order to fight the pandemic, the government had opened 30 government Covid hospitals and 33 dedicated Covid facilities in partnership with the private players, Das said.

The highest Rs 59.41 crore was spent by the KIMS-dedicated Covid hospital in Bhubaneswar followed by IMS and SUM-dedicated Covid hospital at Rs 58.59 crore.