The state government inaugurated India’s largest Covid Care Centre (CCC) at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on Monday, a day which saw Karnataka adding 5,324 fresh cases to take the Covid tally past the one lakh-mark.
The long-delayed centre — which has a capacity of 10,100 beds for asymptomatic patients — has only 1,536 beds now. The remaining will be furnished in a few days.
Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan, who inaugurated the sprawling facility, attempted to put an end to the debate over the quality of cots by getting a 170-kg person lie on the bed. “Nowhere have we (government) compromised on quality,” he said.
The centre has a dedicated power supply line and other security measures like a KSRP and Fire & Emergency battalion round the clock.
Though the facility was inaugurated on Monday, patients will be taken in from Tuesday. “We have 400 beds in the city which will get over by Monday night. All asymptomatic patients will be sent to BIEC from Tuesday,” Revenue Minister R Ashoka clarified.
About 1,500 beds have been reserved for doctors and paramedical staff.
Ashwath Narayan said the bed capacity will be increased to over 10,000 as the number of patients goes up.