Cuttack: The State government signed a memorandum with Dhaneswar Rath Institute of Engineering and Management Studies (DRIEMS) in Tangi locality of Cuttack district Friday to set up a coronavirus hospital to treat COVID-19 patients.
The dedicated hospital will have a 500-bed isolation ward and a 50-bed ICU equipped with ventilators.
Central Revenue Divisional Commissioner Anil Kumar Samal, Cuttack District Collector Bhavani Shankar Chaini, SCB Medical College and Hospital Superintendent Dr Annada Prasad Patnaik, DRDA Project Director Abdul Akhtar and Public Works Department Executive Engineer M.R. Khan.
The number of coronavirus cases in the country is on the rise. A third coronavirus patient was also diagnosed in the state Thursday. The State government is taking various steps to control the situation.
The entire campus of DRIEMS, including 450 rooms of boys hostel, girls hostel and academic blocks, will be used for the purpose. All ancillary arrangements will be made at this proposed hospital to be operational on a wartime basis, Pramod Rout, president of DRIEMS Group said.
In addition to that, all facilities such as the outpatient department, diagnostics and laundry will be provided to patients. Arrangements will be made to have doctors, nurses and other health workers to be employed in the care of the patient separately on another campus of the college.
Notably, Odisha government has also planned to set up two COVID-19 hospitals which will have a combined capacity of 1,000 beds and will be functional within a fortnight. It has signed two tripartite agreements with SUM and KIMS medical colleges to set up the 1,000-bed state level hospitals in Bhubaneswar for treatment of Covid-19 patients.
PNN