Budgam, May 6: Amid the shortage of ICU beds due to the rise in coronavirus infections in Kashmir valley, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has started construction of a 500-bed COVID-19 hospital in Budgam district to ramp up medical infrastructure.
This hospital will have 500 oxygen beds and is likely to be completed in about 35 days time, Ravinder Kumar, Additional Chief Engineer, DRDO said.
"There will be 125 fully-equipped ICU beds for Covid patients including a 50-double room accommodation facility for doctors and paramedics staff," he added.
The hospital will cover both Budgam and Srinagar and will become a lifeline for many COVID-19 patients who need ICU facilities.
Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir told ANI "This government land had been allocated for a hospital but nothing had been made out of it. We are very glad that a hospital is being constructed in the most crucial hour. Neighboring districts can also benefit from this."
Locals appreciated this step of the government and said that the promise of a hospital will finally be fulfilled.Eijaz Ahmad, a local resident said, "Since 2001 the government has been saying that they will build a hospital but they have just let the land remain empty like this. We are very grateful to the government that a COVID-19 hospital is going to be constructed. We have also been told that an oxygen plant will be constructed soon."
The country is currently witnessing a devastating wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As many as 3,82,315 new COVID-19 cases were reported across the country, taking the total active cases to 34,87,229.
There are 37,302 active cases in Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 1,52,109 recoveries and 2,458 deaths have been reported from the union territory so far.
(ANI/2 days ago) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php
