Army launches Covid facility at Rajindra Hospital

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 12

The Western Command of the Army today launched a 100-bed Covid care facility at Sri Guru Nanak Dev Super Specialty Block of Government Rajindra Hospital.

Doctors and healthcare workers (HCW) of the Army have already started work on the second floor of the Covid dedicated super specialty building of the hospital.

Notably, this is the third Covid facility in the state, which has been established by the Army’s Western Command, in collaboration with the civil administration to fight the pandemic.

The Patiala MP, Preneet Kaur, who was present at the launch of the facility, said it would strengthen the state government’s effort to fight the Covid pandemic. Moreover, the Army would contribute to the national cause of making the country Covid free, the MP added.

A 100-bed L-2 facility of the Army would ease pressure on the hospital management and help them concentrate on treatment of the level-3 patients, the MP said Regarding rumours of mismanagement and lack of care at hospital the MP claimed that facilities and care provided at Rajindra Hospital were at par with any other national medical facility of the country.

Notably, as many as 1,711 people had died at the isolation wing of the Government Rajindra Hospital since the onset of the pandemic. Besides, the death rate at the hospital was highest among the tertiary care medical institutions in the country.

The MP called upon every citizen to wear face mask, take precaution against Covid and help break the transmission chain of the infection.

Col Manoj Kumar Sharma, commanding officer of the army unit, said, “Doctors, medical, ancillary and administrative staff will be on 24x7 duty as per the ICMR guidelines. They will also have an ambulance at their disposal equipped with all necessary facilities.”

AAP attacks MP

Meantime, leader of the local unit of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Prof Sumaer Singh, said Preneet Kaur instead of listening to grievances of attendants of positive patients at the isolation wing was busy in photo ops. He saluted the Army for helping people during this pandemic, however, it was shameful that Patiala MP was trying to gain political mileage out of force’s endeavour, Prof Sumaer added. It was ironical that roads inside hospital, which were in bad shape for months altogether, were re-carpeted a day before the MP’s visit, Prof Sumaer said.