With 216 COVID-19 cases having been recorded in three days between June 18 and June 20, Government Rajaji Hospital authorities feel their bed capacity limit will be reached soon if the trend continues.

There are 309 patients in the COVID-19 speciality wing of the hospital. Apart from housing patients who tested positive for novel coronavirus, the hospital also accommodates COVID-19 suspects. The bed capacity is 500.

The hospital plans to increase the bed capacity to 600 soon. “If we get 50 positive cases each day, the bed capacity will be exhausted soon as there are only a few discharges. For backup, we also have 150 beds at Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine in Thoppur out of which 80 are occupied now. We need to plan ahead as the number of cases are just beginning to rise at a quick rate,” a source said.

Collector T. G. Vinay said the bed strength at the Thoppur hospital would be increased to 250.

They are also planning to convert two quarantine facilities - the Madurai Kamaraj University guest house and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural College campus - into COVID-19 treatment facilities.

“Each has 400 beds but require mattresses. We have decided to keep these two facilities ready,” he said

They would not have oxygen lines but portable oxygen cannisters will be available for use during emergencies. “The Railway Hospital and the taluk hospitals in Melur, Tirupparankundram and Usilampatti also have beds for COVID-19 treatment,” he said.