CHENNAI: In a huge breather for Chennai, 360 out of the proposed 800 oxygen beds at the Covid Care Centre in Chennai’s Trade Centre will be opened for public use on Tuesday. This will help the city overcome the lack of oxygen beds to some extent.
The Trade Centre, located in Nandambakkam, has two 11 kilolitre capacity oxygen tanks and all the beds got oxygen support. Sources said that only severe Covid patients who are recovering at the Government tertiary hospitals will be shifted to this facility and new patients cannot come directly.
“Severe patients who need oxygen and are at the Chennai government tertiary hospitals will be shifted here based on referrals. This centre will reduce the burden in the tertiary hospitals giving opportunity for new patients to get special treatment,” said an official part of the inspection of the centre today.
The official said that the facility is attached to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and doctors working there will attend to patients here.
On Monday, Principal Secretary and Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi inspected the care centre. He also checked the oxygen tanks, beds, and restrooms and ensured if they are ready to use and in a good condition.
Sources said the same quality food as per Covid-19 protocols will be provided in the centre. Officials have also ensured there is adequate ventilation this time. In the first wave, patients here complained that there was not adequate ventilation and it was a furnace to be inside the care centre.
The rest of the proposed beds are likely to be opened by May 25.