BENGALURU: As Covid-19 cases are increasing in the City, work is in progress to set up facilities with 10,000 beds by Monday evening, said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Saturday. “Facilities where ventilators, high flow oxygen lines and other facilities are available will be converted into hospitals. Experts have been asked to classify symptomatic cases as mild, moderate and severe and prepare treatment protocols.
Private hospitals are instructed to reserve 50% of the beds for Covid-19 treatment. Discussions will be held with managements of private hospitals and they will be provided details of capping of treatment cost. The possibility of utilising almost the entire capacity in private medical colleges is being examined,” he said.
Since Covid care centres do not require much facilities, the multi-storey residential apartment complexes built by BDA and housing department will be utilised. BDA has around 1,700 flats. BDA Commissioner Mahadev will give the exact number of flats available for use on Monday, he said.
Apart from this, flats available in about 3,000 private residential complexes registered under RERA and housing department will be examined and decided by officials, the minister said. “Information about stadiums, sports complexes, hostels and large commercial complexes under the Sports department and private entities is also being collected.
The target is to set up at least 10,000 beds and officials are working on a war-footing towards this. I am personally monitoring it,” he said. The KSRP, Home Guards, NCC cadets and para-military forces stationed in the City will be utilised for security arrangements, he said.