AMC takes over eight private hospitals

AHMEDABAD: In order to ensure that the Covid-affected people get hospitals and asymptomatic patients have sufficient quarantine facilities the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation took over eight private hospitals with a capacity of 800 beds and also 60 hotels with a capacity of 3,000 rooms.
Rajiv Gupta, additional chief secretary, forest and environment, said that these eight private hospital have been designated as Covid-19 hospitals and were taken over under the Epidemic Diseases Act . These hospital areas in Chandkheda, Science City, Kubernagar, Bapunagar, Maninagar and other areas of the city.

For the treatment of asymptomatic patients the AMC had on Wednesday directed all deputy municipal commissioners to take over three and four star hotels. On Thursday, Gupta, who has been appointed as overall in-charge of activities to control further spread of Covid-19 pandemic in Ahmedabad, said that orders were being issued by AMC to take over 60 private hotels with 3,000 beds. These private hotel will be will be designated as Covid care centres.. These hotels are being requisitioned under Epidemic Diseases Act for providing air-conditioned facilities without taking any charges from the patients in different zones. The cost of such treatment will be borne by AMC.
Earlier, the AMC had extended such facilities to six hotels, but the room charges of Rs 3,000 per day were to be borne by the patients. The new team headed by Gupta and in-charge commissioner Mukesh Kumar has decided to extend the facilities free to patients. Earlier, only those patients who were corona warriors were given free lodging at hotels and other non-hospital facilities.
About the screening of vegetable vendors and grocery shop staff the AMC said their screening is on in each zone and ward, and the screening of 1,409 such vendors was completed on Thursday, May 7.