Military hospitals may be converted as COVID-19 hospitals

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi during his visit to KIMS Hospital premises on Thursday to oversee the work on a make-shift COVID hospital.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi has said that in consultation with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Military Hospitals in the State would be converted into COVID-19 hospitals.

Speaking to presspersons after reviewing the progress of the 66-bed COVID Casualty Makeshift Ward on KIMS Hospital premises in Hubballi on Thursday, Mr. Joshi said that he had written to Mr. Rajnath Singh on the need for constructing make-shift COVID wards at various places in the State, including Bengaluru, through DRDO and other defence agencies.

“I am hopeful of a positive response from the Defence Minister. Both the Union and State governments are working on a war-footing. As a precautionary measure, additional beds are being kept ready. We are hoping that we will not reach such a stage of using those additional beds,” he said.

On the delay in test reports, he said that the issue had already been brought to his notice and he would take it up with the Health Minister and Health Secretary based on the need to give results early so that treatment could be given immediately.

Mr Joshi said that Karnataka had been given 1.22 lakh vials of Remdesivir injection and it was left to the discretion of doctors for which patients the injection should be given. There was no need to panic and moreover, Remdesivir was not the only solution to COVID-19, he said.

In 10 days

Mr. Joshi said that the make-shift COVID-19 casualty Hospital would be constructed in next 10 days at a cost of ₹66 lakh.

“Three casualty wings will be set up in an area of 1,500 sq ft. Each wing will have 22 beds with all facilities. And, there will be six bathrooms and toilets each for male and female patients,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad Nitesh Patil said that every day, 2,000 COVID-19 tests were being held in KIMS. Directions had been given to set up another swab collection centre at KIMS.

Mr. Patil said that 17,000 people had been given Covaxin dose and based on availability, it would be given to those receiving the second dose. It would not be given to first-timers, he added.

KIMS Director Ramalingappa Antaratani and others were present.