You don’t have to live in an apartment complex to set up COVID-19 Care Centres. They can also be established in independent unoccupied houses in neighbourhoods if residents are willing to adhere to the rules.
In the wake of Residents’ Welfare Associations, apartments and gated complexes expressing interest in setting up care centres on their premises, the BBMP on Friday issued a list of dos and don’ts that need to be followed.
While people who are asymptomatic or experiencing mild symptoms can shift to community-managed centres, the notification stated that exceptions include infected patients over the age of 60 and below 10 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers, and those suffering from comorbidities. They cannot take in people with tuberculosis and HIV as well as those who are immune-compromised or are on steroids and immune-suppressants.
Beds should be at a distance of six feet from each other with temporary partitions or screens as dividers.
RWAs and apartment associations should have a tie-up with a medical team or a doctor as nursing staff. The guidelines also state that they link with a hospital so that they can refer patients who need more medical care.
They should have adequate supplies of PPE kits, N-95 masks, triple-layered surgical masks, etc., as well as medicines like hydroxychloroquine, vitamin C and zinc.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta in a press release said the civic body will conduct meetings with RWAs on this.
Triage centres
The BBMP will set up triaging centres too which will admit patients to be triaged by the physicians to assess whether they need to be admitted to the hospital or CCC. If not, they will be sent home, he said. However, occupancy at the 12 care centres set up by the BBMP is low; only 800 of the 2,100 beds taken.
Garbage disposal
All community-run COVID-19 Care Centres have to ensure that garbage management, and sanitation be managed separately from other apartments. Biomedical waste has to be treated with 1% hypochlorite solution for a contact period of one hour before final disposal.
