BENGALURU: To address the immediate need for oxygen supply in the City for Covid-19 patients, the government is creating transit oxygen facilities and centres, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said on Friday.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of his visit to help desks, Covid Care Centres, Kidwai and Apollo hospitals, he said, the BBMP has converted 10 maternity hospitals into transit oxygen centres, which will help those in critical need. Doctors will confirm who require oxygen through triaging and the patients will be further recommended to hospitals for treatment, Gupta explained.
The list of hospitals include Rajajinagar Maternity Hospital, Kaveripura Maternity Hospital, Gavipuram Guttahalli Referral Maternity Hospital, Azad Nagar Maternity Hospital, Pobbathi Maternity Hospital, Magadi Road Maternity Hospital, Adugodi Maternity Hospital, Tavarekere Maternity Hospital, Hoskerehalli Referral Hospital, Shantinagar Maternity Hospital and Wilson Garden Maternity Hospital.
Palike officials said that if those in home isolation need oxygen, they can be shifted to these transit centres. Apart from this, the teams are also trying to work out how those in home isolation can be helped out with oxygen supply if the need arises.
Gupta said he interacted with the staff at the swab testing laboratory in Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, where they have automatic testing facility, and talks are on to increase testing and generating results. The Kidwai centre is now testing up to 6,000 samples every day and can test up to 20,000 samples, he said. Generation of BU number and SRF ID won’t be a problem as everything is automated, he added. He said various issues related to the delay in generation of BU numbers were also discussed.
Citizen Help Desks are being opened at 50 major hospitals for the benefit of the public and the first 25 have already been set up, he said. The 24X7 help desks will address the confusion and issues of patients and citizens.
Gupta added that 47 beds have been reserved for Covid-19 patients at Apollo Hospital. The meeting with the physicians discussed reserving beds on behalf of BBMP, whether or not there is oxygen scarcity, triaging among others things. He said he has instructed them to make sure no issues arises Also, Apollo has opened a step-down hospital in partnership with a hotel in Jayanagar.