Hospitals asked to establish quarantine wards to meet emergencies

The district administration had asked Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH), ESI Hospital and a few private hospitals to increase the number of beds and establish quarantine wards to meet emergency, if any, in the effort to combat the spread of COVID-19, Municipal Administration Minister S.P. Velumani told journalists here on Wednesday, after chairing a meeting at the Collectorate.

Thus far, the CMCH and ESI Hospital had kept ready 540 beds and private hospitals 111. There were 240 more beds at the eight upgraded primary health centres. The Pollachi and Mettupalayam Government Hospitals had readied 53 and 11 beds respectively to treat patients.

While asking both government-run and private hospitals to increase the number of beds and create quarantine wards to meet emergencies, the State Government had designated ESI Hospital to handle all Covid-19 related cases. And, with the establishment of the lab at the CMCH to test the presence of Covid-19, the need to send samples to Chennai had stopped.

Thus far, the administration had quarantined 1,082 persons from among the 11,475 passengers who were checked for fever symptoms from January 17, 2020 March 23.

Likewise, the district administration had quarantined at a private college near Karumathampatty the 546 persons who had arrived at Coimbatore airport from United Arab Emirates and a few other countries in the Gulf. It later released them as they showed no symptoms of Covid-19, the Minister detailed the efforts taken thus far.

At present, two Covid-19-positive persons were under observation at the ESI Hospital in the district. One of the two was a resident of the district and another was from Tirupur.

Twenty-seven persons were also under observation at the ESI Hospital, Singanallur, as the district administration was checking if they had contracted the virus.

They were part of the 97 persons tested in the district at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) and ESI Hospital. Of those 73 had tested negative.

At present, 314 persons were under home quarantine and observation. Medical officers from the nearest primary health centres were in touch over phone with the quarantined family to monitor their health and offer guidance.

In urban area, officials from Revenue and Health departments, local bodies and police were keeping tab on them.

At the eight check-posts at inter-state border, medical teams comprising 39 doctors were keeping vigil round-the-clock.

The measures that the administration had taken were based on the State Government’s instructions. The Chief Minister was monitoring the Covid-19-related developments on an hourly basis and this alacrity shown by the Government had come in for appreciation, Mr. Velumani said.

Local bodies both in urban and rural areas were engaged in sanitising public areas and creating awareness among public by engaging town criers and using public address system. Members of the public would do well to heed to the advice and stay indoors for 21 days, as asked for the Prime Minister.