With health experts warning that the next 10 days will be crucial, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is working towards increasing vaccination, ramping up testing and ensuring that there are enough beds in government and private health care facilities.
BBMP Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that, over the next 10 days, around 6,000 beds will be available for treatment of COVID-19 patients in government-run and private health care facilities. The civic chief met Tushar Girinath, nodal officer for monitoring the Apthamitra helpline, K.V. Thrilok Chandra, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Welfare, and other senior officials on Friday to chart out a plan.
The Central Hospital Bed Allocation team, comprising IAS and IPS officials, will conduct inspections to ensure private facilities have reserved 50% of the total beds for COVID-19 patients. Private healthcare facilities will be required to display the number of beds available under government and private quota for the benefit of the public.
More COVID-19 Care Centres to be set up
Mr. Gupta said that the occupancy rate in the two operational COVID-19 Care Centres (CCCs), one at Haj Bhavan and another at HAL, had increased to around 70%. Zonal commissioners have been directed to identify locations for setting up two or three smaller CCCs of around 50-bed capacity in each zone. CCCs can also be established in hotels, if necessary, he added.
With the State government directing the BBMP to increase testing up to 1 lakh per day, additional teams will be deployed at primary health centres. While each PHC has around three teams, it would be increased to eight in a phased manner, he said.
With regard to the night curfew that has been imposed by the government, the civic chief urged citizens to adhere to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, not move around in groups and avoid crowded places. Any violation would be dealt with stringently and establishments would be closed down, he added.
