Those who do not have any facilities to isolate at home would be protected here: DMHO
Given the surge in COVID cases across Chittoor district, with a daily number of around 1,000, the district administration has taken steps to gradually establish “mini-COVID care centers” in all constituencies and Mandal headquarters.
50-100 beds
While the usual COVID care centers can accommodate more than 3,000 patients, mini-centers can each accommodate 50 to 100 patients. Currently, Vishnu Nivasam and Padmavathi Nilayam in Tirupati and RVS College in Chittoor City are the three centers of the district.
With the mini-centers in Mandalen, it would no longer be necessary to move patients to Tirupati to avoid the risk of the infection spreading further, said Fr. Ravi Raju, Deputy District Physician for Medicine and Health (DMHO).
SW hostels are identified
“As per instructions from the District Collector, the COVID Task Force teams are involved in identifying social homes to convert them into mini-COVID care centers. Those who do not have enough facilities to isolate at home would be transferred to these centers, while those with comorbidities would be transferred to the COVID hospitals in their respective areas, “the DMHO said.
The official said there are now about 2,000 beds available in the state hospitals, including the SVIMS and SVRR hospitals in Tirupati, the district hospital in Chittoor and the local hospitals in Kuppam, Madanapalle and Srikalahasti, and 1,480 beds in private hospitals.
“To meet increasing demand, we have taken steps to add five oxygen-assisted beds in each COVID care center. This is to prevent patients in care centers from dying of shortness of breath before they are transferred to hospitals,” said Dr. Ravi Raju.
In the meantime, the district administration, in coordination with the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has initiated measures to set up a COVID care center with 1000 beds in the Srinivasam complex in Tirupati.
Active cases close to 10,000
District collector M. Hari Narayanan said there are currently 9,481 active cases in the district.