The COVID Care Centres, being run by NGOs, are providing immense relief to COVID patients who can neither have the luxury of isolating themselves in a separate room at their homes nor afford treatment at private hospitals.
The centres run at the Vijnana Vihara School at Gudilova and at Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir, run by the RSS, and the COVID Isolation Centres in Visakhapatnam and Araku, run by the Alluri Sitaramaraju Vignana Kendram, are providing yeoman services to such persons.
The 40-bedded COVID Care Centre at Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir, Dwarakanagar, being run with the support of BVK and Vivekananda Medical Trust is providing oxygen beds for the needy.
“Those with saturation levels of 92 and above can seek admission, provided they come with a COVID-positive report. Doctor consultation, food and oxygen is provided for free. The patient has to buy the prescribed medicines. Doctors will provide services round-the-clock in three shifts,” said V. Chakrapani, in charge of the centre.
“A poor woman, who came from Anandapuram and had no money to purchase drugs, was also given medicines sponsored by Vizag Round Table 77 and Walkers Club International and Rotary Club,” he said.
The 120-bedded COVID centre at Gudilova does not have oxygen bed facility, and admits only patients with oxygen saturation level of 95 and above. Services of doctors are provided for free apart from free food and medicines. Yoga classes are conducted daily and milk is given thrice a day. The diet for patients includes an egg for breakfast and dinner.
The Alluri Sitaramaraju Vignana Kendram is providing isolation facility for patients at Araku and at the CPI(M) Office in the city.
A 50-bed isolation centre is being run at Sarada Niketan School at Araku for the benefit of tribals and a 40-bed isolation facility is being run at the NPR Bhavan (CPI-M) office in the city for needy patients. The Vignana Kendram is providing medicines and food, free of cost for patients, and doctors are monitoring the health of the patients.
Vignana Kendram chairman Ch. Narasinga Rao, secretary B. Ganga Rao, treasurer V.S. Padmanabha Raju and directors K. Lokanadham and B. Padma are monitoring the activities of these isolation centres from time-to-time.