BENGALURU: With the number of Covid-19 cases steadily declining in Bengaluru, the Burhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to close down most of the Covid Care Centres (CCCs) as the facilities are not getting enough patients. Apart from this, triaging centres will also be closed down. The city on Wednesday saw 4,095 fresh Covid-19 cases.
BBMP Joint Commissioner Sarfaraz Khan, who is also in charge of CCCs, said the decision was taken by BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta as the centres were seeing zero or very few patients. He, however, said one or two CCCs will remain open in each zone, depending on the size and population.
The BBMP had set up 58 triaging centres and CCCs across the city with over 3,000 beds. According to the data compiled by the civic body, the occupancy at the centres was not more than 1,000-1,200 on any given day. And, the last one week saw this number dip even further to just 200-300. Apart from the city witnessing a steady decline in fresh cases, another reason the centres - with doctors, nurses, paramedics, house-keeping staff and others - are seeing less patients is that most of them prefer home isolation.
Khan said the facilities at the centres will remain intact so that they can be reopened if the need arises in the future.The BBMP has also decided to close down the CCCs it had opened in apartment complexes. However, no decision has been taken on the step-down facilities set up in hotels in collaboration with private hospitals.
While the final list of the CCCs to be shut is yet to be drawn by the joint commissioners of each zone, so far it has been decided to close down the CCC at Koramangala Indoor Stadium (National Games Village), Dr Rajkumar Kala Bhavan in Mahalakshmipuram, Homeopathy College in Rajajinagar, Ayurveda College in Gandhinagar and Blossoms Multi-Speciality Hospital in Bommanahalli.
Khan further said that eight maternity homes were converted into CCCs and stabilisation centres. He said only one will continue to be a CCC to attend to Covid-positive pregnant women.The corporation, however, has decided not to discontinue its mobile triaging facilities.