Rohru, Rampur, Kullu hospitals designated as Covid centres

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, November 27

To enhance the existing Covid care facilities and assuaging growing fears that health facilities are crumbling under the weight of spiralling cases, the government has designated hospitals at Rohru, Rampur (Khaneri) and Kullu as Dedicated Covid Health Centres (DCHCs).

“Around 30-40 beds will be added in Rohru, 20 at Rampur and 50 in Kullu. The new facility will be functional from December 1,” said Secretary (Health) Amitabh Awasthi. “Transporting a patient to Shimla from the upper Shimla area could be quite challenging. With these centres coming up, patients will not need to travel to Shimla,” said Awasthi. “Besides, it will ease up the pressure on the IGMC and the DDU,” he said.

Classified as DCHCs now, these hospitals will now be able to handle mild and moderate patients and will refer only severely ill patients.

Awasthi also assured people that makeshift hospitals, which were mooted some time back, would become functional within two weeks. “The foundation for makeshift hospitals in Shimla, Tanda and Nalagarh is ready. The company will start assembling parts in the next couple of days and these should be ready to function within two weeks,” he said. “We are in touch with the HLL for providing manpower to manage these additional facilities. So in two weeks, we will have functional hospitals, not just the structure.”

The Secretary further assured that the government was ramping up its testing capabilities. “At one point, we were testing around 2,500 people a day. Now, we are testing around 5,000 and we intend to take this number higher,” Awasthi said. “To achieve this objective, we have already hired around 250 employees on outsourcing basis. We want to assure people that the shortage of employees will not be an issue in the fight against the pandemic.”

Besides, the government has pressed 30 more ambulances into Covid service. Pooled from the Department of Health, Shimla, Mandi and Kangra will get 10 each of these ambulances.

Awasthi warned that strict action would be taken against medical staff not doing their duty. “We have sent out letters that everyone, including senior consultants, will need to check Covid patients. In case, there is no improvement, we will not hesitate from taking strict action,” he said.

The Secretary said that all medical colleges, including dental and nursing, would open from December 1 as per the directions of the Central Government.