HYDERABAD: With the shortage of beds in hospitals, people testing positive for COVID-19 are getting increasingly worried about quarantine centres. Even people with mild symptoms need to quarantine to prevent their family members from testing positive.
To address this, private citizens in Hyderabad have started quarantine centres to allow COVID-19 affected persons to isolate without endangering their loved ones.
Sajjan Raj Jain Gandhi, general secretary of Mahavir Home Quarantine Centre, stated, "We are providing this facility at Hotel Central Park located at Hyderguda. We have taken around 30 rooms and we are charging around Rs 10,000 for five days. In the package we are providing facilities like breakfast, lunch, dinner, lemon water, tea, coffee and fruits. We are also providing regular check-ups by a doctor and a ward boy to attend to these patients."
"The ward boy will remain in the hotel and help these patients around-the-clock. The doctor visits them every two hours. We have also tied up with a diagnostic centre to get the patients tested by paying a nominal fee, as we need to provide service to these people at less cost. We have a 24-hour oxygen facility, vaporiser, tablets and other necessary things. We have tied up with Mahavir Hospital where these people get admitted and treated for any major complication," he added.
Another such initiative was started by Krishna Mohan, who said, "We are providing a quarantine centre at Radisson Hitec City. All the medical support is given by Dr Praveen of Century Hospitals. People who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, without any provisions to quarantine themselves, can approach us."
"People who do not require 100 per cent oxygen support and other medical attention can stay here. We provide stay, three meals each day, a nursing staff, medicines and if they have to be shifted to the hospital, an ambulance is available. Once the 14-day period is over, an RT-PCR test is carried out," Krishna said.
"Through this, we are actually trying to free the hospital beds for the people who actually require them. This package starts at Rs 7,000. We also have stand-by oxygen for the patients. Based on the patient's reports, we give medication and charge accordingly. Due to lack of support staff we are in one location only," he added