As cases surge, civic body takes over building sealed for 10 years by bank due to company fraud; centre will be for those with mild to moderate symptoms
A worker helps install equipment at the centre; A worker helps install equipment at the centre. Pics/Hanif Patel
In an attempt to curtail the surge in COVID-19 cases in Vasai-Nalasopara and Virar, the civic body will soon start a 1,200-beds COVID Health Care Centre at Varun Industries Ltd, a ground+plus+one building in Vasai. It had been sealed 10 years back by a bank due to a multi-crore financial fraud by its promoters. This facility will help front line health workers and patients during the monsoon, as the location generally does not get submerged after heavy spells of rain.
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Additional Municipal Commissioner Ramesh Manale told mid-day that, "patients with mild to moderate symptoms of novel Coronavirus will be admitted to this centre, which will also be equipped with 120 beds having oxygen support."
"Varun Industries Ltd is a huge property which was in the possession of Indian Bank. Since COVID-19 cases were rising in Vasai-Virar, we had to come up with COVID Health Care Centres as per the direction of the government. So we requested the bank to give us the structure to turn it into a COVID Health Care Centre, which will be primarily equipped with 1,200 beds," Manale said.
To open in a week
"The actual calculation is yet to be done, but around R1 crore has been spent to set up the infrastructure in the building. New toilets, water and electricity connections, fans, beds, etc have been installed on the ground floor. The work on the first floor is underway and the centre will ready for use after a week," he added. A civic official said the capacity of the centre can be expanded to 2,000 beds if required.
The Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) is also mass hiring medical as well as para-medical staff for the centre. "We need the maximum number of doctors, nurses, cleaning staff, etc for this facility," he added.
Till June 21, a total 2,071 people were found COVID-19 positive in the region and 86 of them have died. At present 795 patients are undergoing treatment at a COVID hospital in Vasai. Asymptomatic, high-risk contacts are being kept in GG College in Vasai where 400 non-ICU beds have been arranged. Out of these, 340 beds were occupied till last week. "If all the beds at this facility are occupied, the mild to moderate patients will be shifted to this new facility for immediate medical care," Manale added.
Civic buses on standby
Patients who turn critical at the centre will be transported to a dedicated COVID hospital. "The transportation of patients during monsoon will not be an issue as we have kept civic buses on standby for use as ambulances if the number of COVID-19 cases suddenly surges during heavy rain in Vasai, Virar," Manale said.
He also pointed out that though cases are rising people are seen roaming needlessly without masks on. "Since they are not ready to listen to the government order, we will start slapping fines on them for violating the rules," he said.
Besides the centre at Varun Industries, the civic body is also converting a trauma centre into a dedicated COVID hospital with 150 ICU beds in Virar.
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