SHILLONG, May 25: The state government has decided to create more space for beds to cater to COVID-19 patients by converting unused government buildings into corona care centres.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said officials of the Health and all other departments concerned had inspected the ITI office building at Rynjah, the newly-completed building of Basic Training Centre at Malki and the Directorate of Commerce and Industries at Nongrim Hills.
The three locations were finalised following a recce conducted by East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Isawanda Laloo on the instruction of the government, he told reporters after a review meeting on Tuesday.
“After due deliberations, we have decided to set up corona care centres in these three places which will help to generate around 150 additional beds. This will be made functional at the earliest,” Tynsong said.
The lukewarm response to the government’s call for setting up the community quarantine care centres had made the government take this decision, he said.
“We have about 10 corona care centres which are in the process of being operationalised. We have added another three,” Tynsong said, adding that the government is spending about Rs 4 lakh a month to run these centres.
He also said the government discussed the need to set up such centres at all the CHCs and PHCs with a capacity of at least 20 beds each. “I think this facility will be useful for people staying in different jurisdictions,” he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the Health department has been asked to work out a detailed plan on this proposal to be submitted to the government within 48 hours. “We cannot take a decision in a rush since we would need to know the likely expenditure to set up these centres,” he said.
On the manpower needed to manage the corona care centres in the CHCs and PHCs, the Director of Health Services (MI) Aman War said they have reserve nurses who would be assigned the responsibility when required.
