Naveen Patnaik inaugurates two coronaviurs hospitals in Ganjam district

Odisha Chief Minister

Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated two dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Ganjam district, which has emerged as the hotspot of the disease in the state.

The district has so far reported 99 coronavirus deaths and more than 10,000 infections, officials said.

While one hospital will start functioning with 150 beds, including a 24-bed intensive care unit (ICU), at the new paediatric building of MKCG Medical College and Hospital, the other COVVID-19 hospital with the same bed strength will be operational at a private facility at Kanishi, they said.

Patnaik inaugurated the new facilities through video-conferencing from Bhubaneswar.

The staff of MKCG Medical College and Hospital will manage the COVID-19 hospital in its premises, while Cuttack- based Aswini Hospital will run the one at Kanishi.

Both hospitals have ventilation facilities, the sources said.

With two new facilities Ganjam now has three COVID-19 hospitals with bed capacity of over 500.

At present, a 200-bed COVID-19 hospital, including a 20-bed ICU unit is functioning at the Tata Hospital in Sitalapalli.

The serious patients of the contagion are being treated at the COVID-19 hospitals, while other patients are housed at the COVID-19 care centres, Ganjam district collector Vijay Amruta Kulange said.

Earlier, the chief minister also announced to set up a plasma bank at MKCG Medical College and Hospital soon to collect plasma from the recovered patients.