Amit Shah reviews COVID-19 situation in Gujarat

A 950-bed facility for coronavirus patients at the GMDC ground here will be functional from Saturday, while another temporary hospital with 1,200 beds will come up in Gandhinagar soon, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced here on Friday.

Shah held a high-level review meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, deputy CM Nitin Patel and top government officials on the coronavirus situation in Gujarat.

Shah and Rupani also visited GMDC ground where the COVID-19 hospital is being set up with the help of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The Gujarat University Convention-cum-Exhibition Centre at GMDC ground has been turned into a COVID-19 treatment center.

''This facility has been set up by DRDO in collaboration with the Gujarat Government. It has around 950 oxygen beds, including 250 ICU beds. It will start functioning from tomorrow.

''It has all the necessary equipment and facilities including CT Scan,'' Shah told reporters after the review meeting.

A state government release said the capacity of this facility, named as Dhanvantari Covid Hospital, can be enhanced by 500 beds.

The Centre recently announced that 25 doctors and 75 paramedics from paramilitary forces would be deployed at the facility.

Shah praised the Gujarat government's efforts in tackling the pandemic situation, saying the state has the highest number of oxygen beds in the country and a considerable number of ICU beds too.

''For the future need, a 1,200-bed hospital will come up soon at the Helipad ground in Gandhinagar. While Tata Trust would bear the expenditure, the facility will be set up by the DRDO and it will have 600 ICU beds,'' said Shah.

For those living in small houses, the state government has decided to start COVID-19 isolation centres, he said.

Karnavati Club, Rajpath Club and ADC Bank are ready to lend their campuses for this purpose, the Union minister said.

The Gujarat government will also provide two toll-free numbers in coming days to provide guidance to COVID-19 patients in home isolation.

To reduce wastage of vaccines, IAS officers and district administration will be given the task of conducting an audit of the vaccination exercise, Shah announced.

He also appealed doctors to prescribe Remdesivir in a judicious manner and as per the guidelines issued by the AIIMS PTI PJT/PD KRK KRK

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)