Pvt hospitals have agreed to provide 3,500 beds for COVID-19 treatment: Karnataka Minister

Karnataka Medical Education K Sudhakar on Wednesday said the managements of private hospitals have agreed to provide 3,500 beds for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The Minister's office in a release said the government was preparing to conduct one lakh antigen tests from this weekend.

The minister today held discussions with managements of private hospitals on making beds available for treatment of COVID patients.

"...3,000-3500 beds in their hospitals will be managed by us through centralised allotment system, every bed will have an allotment number and it will be real time," Sudhakar told reporters after the meeting.

In addition to the beds, the hospitals will also run COVID-care centres in collaboration with hotels to treat asymptomatic and people with mild symptoms.

"Those who want to get treatment at private Covid Care Centres can go there and avail the facility, we have permitted them to operate CCCs with 3000-4000 beds...so together with hospitals beds and covid care centres, private hospitals will add 6000 to 7000 beds in coming days," he said.

Earlier in the day, Sudhakar inspected the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (city corporation) building on Broadway road in the city that is being developed as a full-fledged Covid hospital.

He said Infosys Foundation is providing necessary infrastructure for the hospital at a cost of Rs 30 crore and it will be functional in another 10 days.

"Initially the hospital will be having 180 beds with high flow oxygen lines.These beds can be converted for ventilator facilities if need be...30 ventilators will be provided.

The hospital will be having Neuro-surgery OT, Cardio OT, and CT Scan facilities," he was quoted as saying in a release.

Regarding strike by PG students and house surgeons of JJM Medical college demanding the release of stipend of 16 months, Sudhakar clarified that he has held several meetings with the college management in this regard.

Noting that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa also has already directed the management to release the stipend immediately, he said now the college management has to take action.