COVID Care Centres are being set up in central districts where the number of cases has witnessed a sharp rise over the last week. Asymptomatic and mild patients of COVID-19 will be admitted to the centres where health officials will be able to monitor them round the clock.
In Tiruchi, where the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases has been steep, a total of 2,000 beds are being readied.
Speaking to The Hindu, Collector S. Sivarasu said that bookings at Yatri Nivas for devotees of Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam had been stopped as it was being converted into a COVID Care Centre. With a capacity of 380 beds, it was one of the biggest centres in the city.
Five other centres, Bharathidasan University Khajamalai campus (150 beds), Bishop Heber College (350); Nehru Memorial College, Puthanampatti, (150), Kalaiarangam (150) and Government College of Engineering, Sethurapatti, (400), were also being readied. The facilities would be ready for use by Monday.
In Karur, five COVID Care Centres were being set up, a district health official said. Of them, 550 beds were at Government Hospital. Chettinadu College, Government Arts College and two other centres were also being prepared.
In Pudukottai district, all Block Primary Healthcare Centres had been asked to ready 15 beds, Deputy Director of Health Services K. V. Arjun Kumar said.
The Siddha Care Centre would have 80 beds, the old government hospital campus 100, Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department hostels 200, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Kudumiyanmalai, 500. “We have also increased our testing capacity to up to 3000 samples a day,” Dr. Arjun Kumar said.
In Thanjavur district, following a meeting with the Collector and other health officials, four COVID Care Centres were being readied with a total bed capacity of 1,484. In Vallam, 704 beds had been allotted, Pattukottai 480 and Kumbakonam Annai College 300.