Amidst the fears of a second peak of COVID-19 with rising active cases, the district administration is now in the process of re-establishing the government-run COVID-19 Care Centers (CCCs) as a readiness to tackle the pandemic in view of sharp rise in infections.
The district’s largest COVID-19 Care Centre that was functioning at the KSOU academic block at Mandakalli on the outskirts of Mysuru was temporarily shut in January as the number of cases being referred to it came down following drop in infections since October last.
It’s need is now being felt. So, the centre is now being readied to receive patients in case of any further spike in cases. The 250 beds at the District Hospital or the Designated COVID-19 Hospital were fully occupied.
As on Sunday, 82 patients are being treated at the hospital and the total number of active cases has risen to 339, including 134 cases being treated at various private hospitals here.
The CCC at KSOU building near the airport became operational on July 14, 2020 after the cases rose unusually in Mysuru. It is equipped with 625 beds for attending to mild cases and it had accommodated nearly 600 patients at one point of time when Mysuru reported a huge surge in infections between July and September. Until January this year, the CCC had treated 5,600 cases.
Ashok S.U., Nodal Officer, District COVID-19 War Room, Mysuru told The Hindu that the district administration has directed reviving the CCC at KSOU building. Accordingly, steps had been taken to keep the centre ready for combating the pandemic for the second successive year.
He, however, said the situation now is not like last year since the COVID-19 management system had been fully streamlined and the entire mechanism of handling patients – form admission till discharge – had been kept ready. “The pandemic also taught us how we can fight it successfully. The entire system is in place and we need to give it a push. Bed management, triage system, tele consultation, counselling and other facilities are ready. Also, the system is also in place in private set-ups which had set aside 50 per cent of beds for COVID-19 patients,” he explained.
After emerging as a model CCC, which was bigger than a hospital, the CCC under Dr. Ashok took various initiatives, including scientific disposal of COVID-19 waste for preventing spread of infections, drawing praise. Many districts looked to the district war room to learn about pandemic management and health workers and volunteers were also trained by the war room.
Dr. Ashok said the template for operating the CCC has been activated and it will become fully functional as and when the need arises. The entire centre had been sanitised and the staff, including doctors, nursing and paramedics, would be roped in as and when required. “It’s just a matter of time to get the logistics ready.”
“Unlike the beginning, the taluk hospitals too are now fully equipped to fight the pandemic. They have beds with oxygen supply. If need be, the care facilities can also be expanded, roping in more government buildings like how it was done during the last peak,” Dr. Ashok added.
