Preparations on to upgrade Delhi's Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre for winter

NEW DELHI: With winter chill gradually increasing in the national capital, the authorities have begun preparations to maintain warmth inside the 10,000-bed Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre (SPCCC) at Chattarpur. 

The largest facility, one-of-its-kinds in the country, was set up on the campus of Radha Soami Satsang Beas in July when Covid cases started shooting up, with the help of Indo Tibetan Border Police.

“We hadn’t expected that temperature would fall in November. Winters have arrived a bit early. Meetings with local administration and home ministry were convened to resolve the matter and recce of the site was conducted subsequently. We have started making adequate arrangements; 2,000 thick blankets have already been provided to comfort the inmates at SPCCC. The geysers have already been installed to ensure incessant supply of the hot water,” said a government official, privy of the development.

The ground is spread over 300-acre of land but the quarantine facility was created on 70 acres. Given its susceptibility during winters as it is erected on open ground, the administration is planning to modify an already installed centralised air-conditioning system for heating it.

According to the district administration, at present nearly 260 beds are occupied at SPCCC, however, at one point, more than 2,000 Covid infected people were in isolation there.

There are 88 enclosures at the facility with 100-116 beds capacity. Two enclosures are supervised by one Nursing Station and 10% of the beds are equipped with oxygen cylinders for serious patients.

“Separate heaters or blower heaters may be risky inside the enclosure therefore the plan to repurpose existing centralised air-conditioning system to regulate the temperature. The Public work Department (PWD) is installing air handling unit (AHU) in the extended part of the facility. More provisions will be made as per the requirement as and when admission increases,” said another official, associated with the facility.

ITBP spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said besides ramping up facilities to deal with wintry weather conditions at SPCCC, 500 more beds are being upgraded to oxygen supported beds.

“Efforts are being made to serve serious patients better. The occupancy has come down but we are providing oxygen support system to 500 more beds to deal with serious cases,” he added.