By Prakash Panigrahi<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bhubaneswar\/Odisha, Oct 28 : Cyclone Arnab is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds across Odisha over the next two days. According to the India Meteorological Department, the system is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast near Yanam on the forenoon of 28 October, with red and orange alerts issued across Odisha districts. Extremely heavy rainfall is forecast at isolated places in Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri on 28 October, with heavy to very heavy rainfall likely in Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh and other coastal districts, and the impact expected to continue into 29 October. Southern Odisha is expected to face significant rainfall and strong winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heavy rainfall of this scale carries health consequences that outlast the storm. Flooding can contaminate drinking water supplies, while standing water becomes a breeding site for mosquitoes.Disruption to sanitation and to everyday access to clinics leaves senior citizens, children, pregnant women and people with existing conditions particularly exposed. Against this backdrop, Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited (NSE: STARHEALTH; BSE: 543412), one of India’s leading standalone health insurance companies, is urging families across Berhampur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri to take timely precautions, and is strengthening access to Virtual Doctor Consultations, guided support and Home Health Care across Odisha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treatment at home, under medical supervision<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Star Health Insurance’s data points to growing adoption of medically supervised treatment at home, which can be especially valuable when roads are waterlogged and travel is unsafe. Home Health Care utilisation among eligible policyholders in Odisha grew nearly 7.5X between April and September 2026 compared with the same period last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Essential precautions for families in Odisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Drink only safe water: boil or chlorinate it and store it covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Keep floodwater off food and hands: wash hands with soap after any contact, and discard food it has touched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Avoid wading through floodwater: keep cuts covered and clean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Stop mosquito breeding: clear stagnant water around the home once the rain eases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Avoid mosquito bites: use nets and repellents and wear full sleeved clothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Keep medicines ready: stock regular medicines, prescriptions and oral rehydration salts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consult a doctor early for fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, persistent body ache, rashes or skin infections rather than relying on self-medication, particularly in the case of senior citizens, children, pregnant women and people with existing conditions, and seek immediate medical attention for breathing difficulty, persistent high fever, bleeding or signs of dehydration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commenting on the advisory, Mr. Aditya Omprakash Biyani, Chief Business & Provider Relations Officer, Star Health Insurance, said: \u201cA cyclone\u2019s health impact is rarely limited to the days of heavy rain. Contaminated drinking water, stagnant pools and disrupted sanitation keep families at risk long after the skies clear, and the early symptoms of waterborne and mosquito borne illness look much the same, so only a doctor can tell them apart. The costliest mistake a family can make at such a time is waiting it out. We would urge households across Odisha to secure safe drinking water now, keep regular medicines and prescriptions within reach, and seek advice early rather than self-medicating. Between April and September, Home Health Care utilisation among our customers in Odisha grew nearly 7.5X compared with the same period last year, which shows that families are increasingly choosing medically supervised treatment at home when their condition allows it. With Virtual Doctor Consultations, Talk to Star and Home Health Care, our policyholders can reach a doctor without having to step out while travel is unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Three service interventions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Unlimited teleconsultations for policyholders: Available during the policy period for early medical advice when symptoms emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 \u2018Talk to Star\u2019 for policyholders: Call 7200 222 333 and press 1 for Home Health Care or 2 for planned hospitalisation for guidance on treatment pathways, cashless processes and network hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2022 Cashless Home Health Care: For eligible policyholders whose conditions can be managed at home, Star Health facilitates treatment prescribed by a doctor, including nursing care, blood tests, monitoring, IV fluids and injections, subject to policy terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Free Virtual Doctor Consultation for the general public:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Members of the public who are not Star Health policyholders can book a free Virtual Doctor Consultation by downloading the Star Health Customer appfrom 8 AM to 8 PM, signing up with basic details and selecting \u2018Telemedicine\u2019 from the menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Star Health encourages households across the state particularly those with senior citizens and young children, to use only boiled or chlorinated water, keep their surroundings free of stagnant water once the rain eases, and seek medical advice for persistent fever or stomach upset rather than relying on self-medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Star Health and Allied Insurance: Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd. (BSE: 543412 | NSE: STARHEALTH) is the market leader in standalone health insurance in India. The Company commenced operations in 2006 as India\u2019s first Standalone Health Insurance Company. Star Health Insurance provides Health, Personal Accident and Travel Insurance to its customers. The Company has grown to emerge as one of the preferred health insurance companies in India with several pioneering products and services to its credit. With customer-centricity at its core, the Company has developed superior and innovative product offerings, service capabilities and a seamless claims management process. Star Health offers tailor made products to cater to needs such as, cancer, diabetes, cardiac illnesses and to specific segments such as senior citizens, women and children. Star Health is India\u2019s first health insurance company to settle over 1 crore claims. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Star Health and Allied Insurance Co. Ltd. has a strong multi-channel distribution network of 900+ offices, over 8.5 lakh+ agents and robust bancassurance and financial institution partners. The Company has 16,000+ network hospitals and 18,500+ employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Talk to Star: helping customers plan hospitalisation with confidence: To make planned hospitalisation simpler and less stressful, Star Health has introduced Talk to Star, a dedicated pre-admission guidance service for customers. Before admission, customers can call Talk to Star to understand their policy coverage, check network hospital options, clarify the cashless process and know which documents to keep ready. The service is designed to help customers avoid last-minute confusion, reduce uncertainty at the time of admission and proceed with greater clarity on available benefits and next steps. With guidance available in regional languages, customers and their families can make more informed decisions and focus on treatment and recovery. Customers planning hospitalisation are encouraged to call Talk to Star at 7200 222 333 between 8 am and 8 pm to get guided support before admission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Prakash Panigrahi Bhubaneswar\/Odisha, Oct 28 : Cyclone Arnab is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong winds across Odisha over the next two days. According to the India Meteorological<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157387,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[77,66,29032],"class_list":["post-157381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-bhubaneswar","tag-odisha","tag-star-health-insurance"],"yoast_head":"\n