100-bed Covid centre opens in Karnal

Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 10

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday — through video-conferencing — inaugurated a 100 oxygen-bedded Covid healthcare centre in a banquet hall in the city.

Out of 100 beds, presently 70 beds have started functioning and of those, 60 have oxygen concentrators while the remaining beds have oxygen cylinder support.

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Two Samaritans of the city Jagdeep Singh Virk and Major RS Bhinder (retd) have contributed in the development of this centre with the help of the district administration.

Both residents approached Deputy Commissioner, Nishant Kumar Yadav, and offered the banquet hall for Covid care. “I had the banquet hall and in this difficult hour, I and my friend Major Bhinder approached the DC and assured him of a well-furnished centre for Covid care. We got the work of bedding done. Wall mounted fans are there. We have also provided the furniture, chairs and also 4-5 staff members for assistance. The doctors, paramedical staff and oxygen facility have been arranged by the district administration,” said Virk, who is the husband of two-time Congress MLA Sumita Singh.

“We are thankful to the district administration, which has considered our offer positively,” said Major Bhinder, adding that the facility could be expanded to around 150 beds if needed.

Karnal MP Sanjay Bhatia, Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav and other officials were present during this virtual inauguration. Khattar appreciated the efforts being made by the district administration.

The CM asked officials to start Covid hospitals at the CHC level in the district in the next two days. He also gave approval to the planning of the district administration to contain the spread of Covid before the third wave.

The CM also appreciated the model of the Karnal administration of roping in 200 MBBS students for teleconsultaton to home-isolated people and said that this model would be replicated across the state.

Khalsa Aid extended support of 10 oxygen concentrator to this centre. MP Bhatia also extended support of 100 oxygen concentrators from MPLADS.

The CM also inaugurated a 30-bed Covid hospital at Assandh sub-division level in Assandh. Khattar also launched Karnal resources locator web portal to assist the residents in getting information about ambulance, Covid hospital, pharmacy, vaccination centres, plasma donation and others, said DC Yadav.

Khattar said that they have demanded from the Centre that oxygen quota of the state be raised to 400MT per day from the present quota of 282MT.

He said that they have started registration for the door-to-door supply of oxygen cylinders and around 1,000 people have got themselves registered. The CM also directed the officials to focus on rural areas. He said that around 8,000 teams of different departments have started health check-up of people in rural areas.