Shut mini-Covid care units or retain premises till Sept 30: Chandigarh to operators

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 23

Considering the possibility of a third wave of Covid-19, the UT Administration has given two options to the organisations operating mini-Covid care centres in the city.

Yashpal Garg, nodal officer for such centres, said the UT Administration appreciated the noble gesture of contributing towards the management of the second wave of the pandemic. He said the centres were being operated by organisations in a highly professional manner with qualified doctors and nurses and provided food, medicines and other required services to Covid patients free of cost.

“Since the number of Covid patents has reduced sharply and presently, there are only seven patients in the mini-Covid care centres, we need to decide about the future of these centres,” he said.

With the threat of third wave looming large, two options with regard to the centres were given to the organisations — closure of the centre after all patients are discharged and vacation of the premises or temporary closure of the centre and retaining the premises with own security arrangements up to September 30 this year.

Garg requested the organisations to communicate the preference in the next three days. As many as seven organisations were given the permission to run mini-Covid care centres. However, one organisation had already closed down its centre due to lack of patients.

As the caseload on hospitals increased with a sudden surge in Covid cases, the UT Administration gave a clarion call for setting up mini Covid care centres in the City voluntarily by any individual, association, organisation, NGO, religious body, corporate, firm or trust for asymptomatic Covid patients.