Gujarat: Surat to get 200 ventilators, Rs 100 crore for hospitals amid Coronavirus

Considering the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Surat, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Saturday said 200 ventilators will be made available in the city and Rs 100 crore will be allocated to convert two hospitals into COVID-19 facilities.

The chief minister along with Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Nitin Patel met officials of the local administration, doctors and local leaders here and took stock of the city's COVID-19 preparedness.

Following a meeting, Rupani said the state government will supply 200 ventilators to Surat and provide Rs 100 crore to convert two hospitals in the city into dedicated COVID-19 treatment facilities.

"The government is concerned about Surat and is making arrangements to contain the viral spread in the city. We want to ensure that no patient has to face unavailability of beds," the chief minister said.

The Stemcell Hospital will be turned into a COVID-19 facility in the next eight to 10 days, the Kidney Hospital will be converted in another one month, he added.

Surat has seen a sudden rise in coronavirus cases over the last few days, with several persons testing positive at Katargam, Varachha and Sarthana localities, which are home to diamond polishing units.

Speaking to reporters, Rupani said member of Parliament C R Patil, MLA Kumar Kanani and local leaders will meet the representatives of diamond and textile industries to discuss the way out of the situation.

Senior government officials will also meet the industry representatives on Sunday and a final decision will be taken on how to operate industries without risking the spread, he said.

"If rules are flouted, units and markets will have to be closed, because our first responsibility is to ensure that infections don't rise," Rupani said.

Moreover, the chief minister said 100 Dhanvantari Raths, or vehicles will visit 500 spots every day to distribute preventive medicines to locals.

Meanwhile, the diamond polishing units in the city have been hit by the outbreak, as they were ordered to remain shut for a week starting June 30 after 570 workers and their relatives tested positive for the infection in a month.

On Friday, the Surat Municipal Corporation also ordered the closure of paan shops in affected localities in its effort to contain the viral spread.

Surat has so far reported 5,461 COVID-19 cases, of which 198 persons have succumbed to the infection and 1,803 patients are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals.

(Photo credit for representation: PTI)