The Tamil Nadu government will launch a unified command centre for COVID-19 management at about noon on Friday.
The unified command centre will facilitate actionable intelligence for COVID-19 management, integrating the existing facilities managed by civic bodies such as the Greater Chennai Corporation.
All calls made to helpline numbers such as 104 and 108 will be managed by the unified command centre, focusing on aspects such as hospital bed management and oxygen support. The centre seeks to improve bed management by real-time tracking of vacant beds in hospitals, COVID-19 care centres of Chennai Corporation and COVID-19 care centres in the private sector.
Over 11,000 patients in Chennai have been admitted to hospitals after testing positive for COVID-19. More than 25,000 patients are in home isolation. The number of COVID-19 positive patients in the city is expected to cross 6,000 per day this weekend.
Hospitals that request interventions pertaining to oxygen support will be able to get assistance from the unified command centre, which will be located at the seventh floor of the Directorate of Medical Services, an official said.
As a government order on reserving 50% of beds in hospitals for COVID-19 patients is likely to be issued as well on Friday, officials are planning to streamline the system of bed management. Some patients who do not require tertiary care in hospitals may be shifted to COVID-19 care centres after getting their consent, to facilitate tertiary care for sick patients.
Members of the public can continue to call 104/108, as usual. There is no change in contact details for them, officials said.
