Bengaluru : Revenue Minister Mr R Ashoka who is also the district-in charge minister for Bengaluru Rural district laid the foundation for a 100-bed makeshift hospital in Doddaballapur on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ashoka said that this makeshift hospital would be ready in just a month and this will be a unique hospital in the whole of the country to be set up in such a short span of time at a cost of Rs 4 crore. This hospital will be equipped with 70 oxygenated beds, 20, ICUs and 10 ventilators.

“This makeshift hospital will be a boon for the people of the neighbouring areas. This hospital will have all the required health infrastructure. We are ramping up the health facilities to face the possible third wave especially at a time when the experts are warning that the children may be the most affected in the possible third wave. I can say that this hospital will act as a Sanjeevini for Doddaballapur and neighbouring areas”, he said adding that the recently launched programme of doctors heading towards rural areas has been a great success in identifying the Covid patients and providing timely treatment. “Around 15 mobile clinics have been activated in each taluk. Each mobile clinic with doctors and paramedics will visit one village twice a week and so far, 2,028 villages have been visited in Bengaluru Rural district. Around 90,218 people have been tested and 1,908 of them have tested positive. This unique project has helped us in identifying the Covid patients who otherwise could have skipped testing and providing the timely treatment to them.”

‘Lockdown decision on June 5 or 6’

Mr Ashoka said that the lockdown has helped in reducing the Covid cases. “However, we need to consider various factors before relaxing the lockdown. For example, there is a lockdown in 12 states as of now. In Delhi, the daily Covid count is less than 1,000 and hence they are going for phased manner of unlocking. Similarly, we also need to reduce the Covid cases in the State. We have suggested going for a phased unlocking. CM will hold a meeting either on June 5 or 6 and take a call on whether to extend or not.”