Chennai: Colleges may no longer remain Covid-19 centres

CHENNAI: As cases in the city continue to decrease, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) may have functional Covid care centres (CCC) only in government buildings belonging to TN Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB), Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) or in open grounds like the Nehru stadium in Vepery.
Covid care centres are places where asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients who don’t have any co-morbidities are admitted.These patients don’t need intense medical care, however, doctors are posted at such centres and oxygen cylinders kept ready in case of an emergency. These are operated free of cost for citizens.
Sources said the civic body has submitted a proposal to the government indicating that Covid care centres in educational institutions can be slowly ‘phased out’. This is also in anticipation of a decision to reopen colleges. A meeting regarding this was held in corporation headquarters in Ripon Buildings on Monday, sources said.
However, this doesn’t mean that the city will face a shortage of CCC beds. In fact, currently, less than 20% of the 17,000-odd beds are occupied. As on August 11 morning, of the 11,328 active Covid-19 patients, 3,309 are in care centres, 3,011 are in hospitals and Covid Health Centres and 5,008 are under home isolation.
Civic body commissioner G Prakash on Saturday said many care centre are now under lock and key and only the bigger facilities are being used. “We have been observing the low occupancy trend in care centres for 35 days now,” he said.
“Seven places have been identified where we can immediately create bed facilities. Of these Nehru stadium, a similar facility in Shenoy Nagar and the space opposite Chennai Trade Centre have been earmarked,” a senior official said. These three locations alone will be able to add another 2,600 beds.
“In fact, if the government asks us, we can create a facility even tomorrow morning as we have stock of 5,000-6,000 cots available with us right now,” another official said.
The other major governmentowned facilities where care cenres would continue to operate are KP Park TNSCB tenements, where around 1,400 beds are available, TNHB Attipet facility in Ambattur with 7,030 beds and Chennai Trade Centre where 520 beds are available.
However, corporation officials said they are cautious; the trend for the last five days has seen an increase in bed occupancy in care centres after regular decrease. “As we open up the economy, Covid-19 cases are likely to go up, for which we will need beds. So, we are ready for it,” an official said. Even Prakash said that they would be observing trends for a few more days before taking a call on the next course of action.