Covid Care Centres to reopen in Bengaluru, to have ambulance, oxygen

Experts say Omicron can be managed in centres; Serosurvey on the cards

A health worker collects swab samples in Bengaluru on Saturday | Ashishkrishna H P

BENGALURU: With rising Covid-19 cases in the city, BBMP has decided to reopen Covid Care Centres (CCC) in each assembly constituency, BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said here on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media after inspecting the CCC in Nandini Layout, he said the biggest CCC at Haj Bhavan is being reopened with oxygen beds. Gupta said that as per information from medical experts, the new variant Omicron is spreading fast but the infected need not be rushed to hospitals. Home isolation and CCCs could be sufficient for treatment.

He said directions have been issued to all health officials to ensure the CCCs have sufficient oxygen supply, beds, oxygen concentrators and medical supplies. The CCCs will be linked to a hospital nearby and will have ambulance facility. He asserted that as the government was taking all precautionary measures and resetting medical facilities, citizens must ensure they avoid gatherings. If they have any symptoms or doubts, they must immediately get themselves tested.

Gupta added that a serosurvey will be done again, with suggestions and inputs from experts. It will help in being more vigilant. Expert suggestions will be taken to ascertain the percentage of people to be tested in the survey. Ambulances will be hired based on need, like in the second wave.

Excise Minister and MLA K Gopalaiah was also present during the inspection of the CCC in Nandini Layout. He said the CCC has been set up using CSR funds and of 45 beds, 18 are fitted with oxygen. “In this pandemic, all politicians, irrespective of political parties, are together. All facilities will be arranged for citizens with government and CSR funds. Doctors will also monitor CCCs which will have all facilities, including toilet, bathroom, food and water,” he said.

BBMP will also take the help of citizens, resident welfare associations and NGOs for assistance and management. Marshals will be deployed in all CCCs and testing for Covid-19 will also be done here.

Officers, teams in place for Covid battle

• State Covid-19 War Room: Munish Moudgil
• Hospital admission of of ILI/SARI in 108 ambulance: Vinuth Priya
• Sample collection, testing, use of labs: Shalini Rajneesh
• Home isolation, contact tracing: Pankaj Kumar
• Liquid medical oxygen tanker mobility: Prathap Reddy, Dr N Shivashankar, (in Ballari) Pavan Kumar
• Tele-triaging through helpline 1912: Vipin Singh, Biswajeet Mishra
• Coordination with private, NGO, corporate sector: Uma Mahadevan
• Facilities to Covid-19 orphans: Pallavi Akurithi
• Coordination with international organisations: V Ponnuraj
• Importing Covid-19 equipment: Uma Mahadevan, Priyanka Mary Francis

BBMP NODAL OFFICERS

• Covid-19 arrivals at KIA: C Shikha
• Reservation of beds in pvt hospitals: Capt Manivannan, Alok Kumar, Md Mohsin, Harishekaran P
• Private hospitals: N Jayaram
• Contact tracing of untraceable: M N Anucheth (IPS)
• Cremation sites: Rajendra Kataria
• Containment zones: G Sathyvathi

Zonal coordinators

• Bengaluru East: J Ravishankar
• Bengaluru West: Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh
• Bommanahalli: Dr Ravi Kumar Surpur
• Yelahanka: V Anbu Kumar
• Bengaluru South: Shivayogi Kalasad
• Mahadevapura: Dr N Manjula
• Dasarahalli: Dr PC Jaffer
• RR Nagar: Dr R Vishal