Work afoot to provide oxygen pipelines at Kallakurichi makeshift hospital

The Public Works Department (PWD) has started work to provide oxygen pipelines for COVID-19 beds identified at the makeshift Kallakurichi Government Medical College and Hospital at Siruvangur near here.

Kallakurichi Collector Kiran Gurrala said the PWD had started the work to provide oxygen pipelines to 200 beds at the makeshift hospital.

The district had been witnessing a rise in the number of cases over the last few days and the Kallakurichi Government Hospital had a capacity of 100 beds only.

“We have been dependent on the Villupuram Government Medical College and Hospital (VGMCH). The district has COVID-19 care centres with a capacity of 2,000 beds. At present, it has 747 active cases. Though the situation is at present manageable, we have made arrangements at the makeshift hospital to handle further rise in positive cases,” Mr. Gurrala said.

Kallakurichi municipality alone had witnessed nearly 440 positive cases in the last few days. Testing had been ramped up to an average of 700 samples per day. With more localities being identified as ‘hotspot’ areas, more streets would be added as containment zones, Mr. Gurrala said.

Of the 747 active cases, Tirukovilur had the maximum of 165 positive cases followed by Melur with 114, Thyagadurgam at 57 and Sankarapuram with 47 cases.