Ambedkar Medical College becomes dedicated Covid-19 facility

Housing Minister V Somanna said the government is making efforts to increase beds with oxygen facilities, which is the need of the hour

Representative image: iStock Photo

Wanting to increase the beds for Covid-19 patients, the government has converted the Ambedkar Medical College into a dedicated Covid hospital.

Housing Minister V Somanna made the announcement after attending a Covid review meeting. “The college, which has a capacity of 400 beds, also has 300 beds with oxygen facilities,” Somanna said.

Though the college is currently providing 125 beds for Covid patients, the decision will add 10 more ventilator beds to the total city tally, and the minister has promised to provide 10 more ventilators to the facility.

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Somanna said the government is making efforts to increase beds with oxygen facilities, which is the need of the hour.

Accordingly, in the coming days, Charaka Hospital will provide 28 ICU beds, while the Indiranagar ESI Hospital will get 50 more oxygen beds.

As cremating those who succumb to the disease has become a major challenge, the BBMP has dedicated hearse vans to ferry the deceased.

“The process will be decentralised. Two hearse vans will be dedicated to each Assembly constituency,” Somanna
said.

The minister said authorities acknowledged the hurdles the citizens face during bed allotment and other processes, which will be simplified in the coming days.