Consider field hospitals to meet vaccine rush, Centre tells states

NEW DELHI: In order to augment the healthcare facilities across the country to cater to the rising demand for hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients, the Centre has asked states and Union territories to consider setting up field hospitals with help from government research agencies or the private sector as vaccinations will be opened to all above 18 from May 1.
State governments can take help from agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and similar agencies in the private sector to build these field hospitals.
Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan and Dr R S Sharma, chairman of the empowered group on technology and data management on Covid-19 chaired a high-level meeting with states on Saturday to review situation of health infrastructure and vaccination in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases.
Regarding infrastructure augmentation for effective clinical treatment of the hospitalised Covid-19 patients, states were advised to review their existing hospital and other Covid treatment infrastructure in view of the daily new case, daily fata-lity and those that would require hospitalization.
States were advised to identify additional dedicated Covid-19 hospitals, setting up centralised call center-based services for allocation of beds, maintain a real-time record for available beds and make it easily accessible to the general public.