After establishing a COVID Care Centre, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) has now created a full-fledged treatment centre with oxygen support on its premises for the benefit of 7,000-odd labourers involved in construction of reactors 3 and 4.
Since the KKNPP, operating 2 X 1,000 MWe nuclear reactors, is actively pursuing construction of reactors 3 and 4 with similar capacity by involving more than 7,000 labourers, mostly from other States, a COVID Care Centre was created recently at the instance of the district administration.
When the viral outbreak began to spread in April and May last year and the total lockdown was clamped consequently, the district administration operated special trains to Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand after labourers from these States demanded that they be sent back.
During the second wave, the KKNPP administration created a COVID Care Centre with 200 beds after several employees and labourers contracted the viral infection but showed mild symptoms. Moreover, all arrangements were in place to install an oxygen generator on its premises for the benefit of patients.
Now, a full-fledged treatment centre had been created by KKNPP management to treat COVID-19 positive workers instead of sending them to the nearest government hospital.
“When we lifted samples from 600 labourers on Monday, only two of them tested positive. Since they have mild symptoms, they are in our COVID Care Centre. If their health condition demands, they will be shifted to our treatment centre that has all facilities for treating patients with the viral infection,” said KKNPP sources.
Apart from testing all labourers and treating COVID-19 positive patients, steps had been taken to vaccinate the labourers, the sources added.
