District Monitoring Officer for COVID-19 Gagandeep Singh Bedi has directed the Health authorities in the district to work on a war-footing to provide oxygen lines and extra beds in the Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital (RMMCH) in Chidambaram.
After inspecting facilities at RMMCH on May 8, Mr. Bedi said that the COVID-19 ward at the hospital has a capacity of 170 beds of which 25 were oxygenated beds. The Public Works Department has accelerated work to provide oxygen pipelines for another 120 beds. The work will be completed in 10 days while efforts are underway to increase the bed strength by 150 in the facility.
Mr. Bedi said that the 19 COVID care centres in the district has a total capacity of 3,600 beds. All asymptomatic patients will henceforth be admitted to the COVID care centres while those with symptoms will be admitted in the isolation wards in RMMCH and other general hospitals in the district, he said.
District Collector Chandra Sekhar Sakhamuri was also present during the briefing.