Makeshift Covid care centre at Kandwari opposed

Our Correspondent

Palampur, January 2

The residents of the Kandwari area, 10 km from here, today lodged a strong protest over the decision of the district administration to set up a Covid care hospital in their village. The residents said they would not allow the hospital in the village.

They said the site selected by the administration for the creation of 200-bed Covid care hospital was too close to the residential areas and it could spread infection in the village. Therefore, the government should review its decision.

Radha Swami Satsang Management, following a dispute with the district administration, had served a notice seeking vacation of its premises in its complex at Paror, where 300 bed biggest makeshift Covid care hospital of the state was functional since May last. After the closure of 300-bed Covid care centre at Paror, no big Covid care centre is left with the administration in Kangra to accommodate the patients, if Covid cases increase in the third wave expected next month in February.

The administration had selected a piece of land belonging state health department adjoining Zonal Leprosy Hospital, Kandwari near Palampur for the setting up of a new Covid Care makeshift hospital. The administration had planned to shift the infrastructure from Paror to Kandwari. However, with the opposition of villagers, it looks difficult for the administration to set up a hospital at Kandwari.

Navi Zila Parishad member from Kandwari and Sarit head of local NGO Avishkar, while talking to The Tribune, said a majority of villagers were not in favor of setting up a Covid hospital at Kandwari. They said villagers feared that it would become a major health hazard to them. Therefore, the government should set up this makeshift hospital away from the residential areas. So many areas were lying vacant nearby and government should utilize these instead of creating new hospitals in residential areas.

Apart from this, the Covid Care hospital would adversely affect the functioning of the leprosy hospital. They said as the leprosy patient had low immunities they could get infected easily. “The district administration must take local residents into confidence and also study all these aspects before taking a final decision,” the villagers said.

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Caption: Zonal Hospital Kandwari, proposed site for Covid Care Hospital. Ravinder Sood