Minister urges offcials to work in war footing
Bengaluru – 27 June 2020: As the cases are increasing in Bengaluru, work is in progress to setup faciliities with 10,000 beds to treat covid patients by Monday evening, Medical Education Minister Dr.K.Sudhakar said.
The proces of identifying both govenment and private facilities necessary for the treatetment of covid patients in being undertaken. The officials are personally visiting all suitable places and gathering information. Minister informed media after he held video conference with senior officials from various departments on Saturday.
Apart from hospitals of Government and private medical colleges, private hospitals, housing complexes built by BDA, Housing Department, private construction comapnies, government and private sports complexes, stadiums, hostels and large commercial complexes will be utilised for covid treatment. Based on the facilities available these will be converted to either covid care centres ot hospitals, Minister said.
Facilities where ventilator, High flow oxygen lines and other facilities are avilable will be converted into hospitals. Since last week about 30-35% of the infected cases are showing symptoms. It has been instructed to experts to classify the symptomatic cases as mild, moderate and severe and prepare treatment protocols. Private hospitals have been instructed to reserve 50% of the beds for covid treatment. Discussions will be held with managements of private hospitals and they will be provided details of capping of treatment cost. The possibility of utilising almost entire capacity in private medical colleges is being examined, Minister said.
Since covid care centres does not require much facilities the muti-storey residential apartment complexes built by BDA and housing department will be utilized. BDA has around 1700 flats. BDA commissioner Mahadev will inform the exact number of flats available for use on Monday.
Along with this flats avialable in about 3000 private residential complexes registered under RERA and housing department will be examined and decided by officils, Minister said.
Along with this information about stadiums,sports complexes, hostels and large commercial complexes under Sports department and private entities is also being collected. The target is to set up atleast 10,000 beds and officials are working working in war footing towards this. I am personally monitoring all details, Minister said.
All neccessary arrangements in the identified facilities will be made with assistance from private sector. KSRP, Home Guards, NCC cadets and para-military forces stationed in city will be utilised for security arrangements, Minister said.
Additional Chief Secretary Javed Akhtar, BDA commissioner Dr.M.Mahadev, Medical Education Secretary T.K.Anil Kumar, RERA Secretary Lalitakumari, Sports secretary Srinivas, Medical Education Dept Director Dr. Girish and other senior officials were present.
Precaution is necessary not panic
There are 11,005 cases in Karanataka out of which 3,905 are active and 6,916 cases have recovered. So far 180 people have died due to covid. Compared to national mortality rate state’s mortality is lesser by about 5%. Since last week about 50% cases are symptomatic. The sudden change in weater and onset of monsoon may be the reason. The death rate in covid is less comoared to other viruses. Thefore people need not panic. Government is taking all measures to contain the spread of virus and provide best treatment to infected. People’s cooperation is necessary at this stage, Minister said.
