“Ramila Prashanti Mandir”, constructed by Majethia Foundation under the Hospice Project, has now been converted into a 60-bed COVID Care Centre. The same will be formally handed over to the Karnataka Cancer Therapy and Research Institute (KCTRI), Navanagar, here on Friday.
Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Majethia Foundation Chairman Jitendra Majethia said that the “Ramila Prashanti Mandir” had been built on KCTRI premises and it would be handed over to head of KCTRI B.R. Patil in the presence of Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil at noon on Friday.
Mr. Majethia said that as the number of COVID-19 positive patients had been increasing in the district, the foundation had taken the initiative to address it. He said that doctors would be available at the COVID Care Centre throughout the day. “Doctors and health staff will be subjected to seven-day quarantine after their 10-day work at the centre. There will be an entry earmarked for the medical staff, while the fees for services will be kept low compared to other hospitals,” he said.
Dr. Patil said that the hospital was also providing treatment to asymptomatic patients who had other health problems. For such patients, the foundation was providing lunch and dinner daily with the help of ISKCON Akshaya Patra. “The Majethia Foundation had constructed the hospice for the treatment of cancer patients who are in the last stage of the disease and who don’t want to be at home. Considering the pandemic situation, the hospice has now been converted into a COVID Care Centre. This will also reduce the burden on other hospitals in the twin cities,” he said.
Director (Administration) of Hospice Project Ramesh Babu said that it would be wrong on the part of private hospitals to charge higher tariff than the one fixed by the government for treatment of COVID-19 patients. He said that he had seen reports about such private hospitals that were charging more and this should not be done.
Majethia Foundation president Nandini Kashyap, who gave details about the social activities of the foundation, said that during the COVID-19- induced lockdown, the foundation had distributed one lakh masks and distributed over 300 sanitiser dispensing stands and sanitisers to places of religious worship apart from providing medicine and financial assistance to the needy.
Hospice Directors V.B. Nitali, Amaresh Hipparagi and others were present.
