PWD races against time to improve medical facilities in Chennai

CHENNAI: Personnel from the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department (PWD) department have been taking steps on a war footing to ready 12,370 beds with oxygen facilities at various government hospitals in the State.

According to a press note from the department, it had set up a total of 27,806 beds, ICUs, isolation wards and other medical facilities at 138 government hospitals, including medical colleges, district headquarter hospitals, taluk hospitals and primary health centres, at a cost of Rs 282.51 crore, to tackle the first wave of Covid last year. Of them, a total of 21,692 beds have oxygen facilities.

Further, the work to install 12,370 more beds with oxygen facilities has been initiated following suggestions from the government. A total of 2,912 beds in Chennai hospitals alone were provided oxygen facilities last year, while work to provide 2,895 more beds with similar facilities is underway. The Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital will receive 550 more beds, while Stanley Medical College Hospital will receive 500, and Kings Institute Guindy, 200 beds.

Similarly, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts will receive 434 additional beds with oxygen facilities, Tiruchy district 585 beds, Thanjavur district 583, Coimbatore district 311, Madurai district 225, Tirunelveli district 325, and other district hospitals a total of 7,012 beds.