TIRUCHY: With Tiruchy recording 76 positive cases on Wednesday, the load at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has increased. The hospital has 350 beds and more than 200 patients have been admitted. As the numbers have been increasing in the double digits daily, 32 asymptomatic, low-risk patients were shifted to the COVID care centre at Bharathidasan University's (BDU) Khajamalai campus on Wednesday. They were shifted in `108' ambulances. Hostels at the sprawling campus have been sanitised for use by the patients. As of now, there are about 100 beds that have been readied at the campus.
Last week, the district administration and Health Department started the process of readying COVID care centres in Corporation limits. Until now, all patients from across the district were being treated at MGMGH. To avoid overburdening the hospital, it was decided only symptomatic patients with co-morbid conditions and high-risk patients should be admitted to the hospital from here on.
"The plan is to treat asymptomatic positive patients here. We would give them the normal treatment with supplements like zinc and vitamins, as given at the hospital. We are arranging for healthy food. If any patient develops symptoms, we would shift them to MGMGH in an ambulance," said a doctor at the centre.
Revenue officials said that currently, the women's hostel has individual rooms and 20 rooms for women and 20 for men are ready. "Some male wards have huge rooms, where we have placed three beds. Another block is being readied and we would be ready to accommodate 100 patients," said a revenue official.
COVID care centres have been established at four more schools and colleges in the city, with a capacity of over 300 beds. Health department sources said that other areas in the district have also been asked to only send symptomatic patients to MGMGH. "We are working on creating care centres in other areas, too, so that MGMGH can be used exclusively to treat high-risk patients," said the official. Private hospitals have around 264 beds available.