ITBP to close its Covid care centre, world's largest, within a week

The Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre is 1,700 feet long, 700 feet wide - roughly the size of 20 football fields - and has 200 enclosures with 50 beds each.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) has said that it will close its 10,000-bed Covid-19 care centre in south Delhi’s Chhatarpur. It is called Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre.

The ITBP Covid Care Centre was inaugurated by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on July 5, 2020. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

"The Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre and Hospital, Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Chhatarpur will be closed within a week once patients currently admitted are discharged. No new patients will be admitted. The city's hospitals are equipped to handle the current numbers," ITBP Director General SS Deswal said.

Inaugurated in July 5, 2020, it was serving as a treatment centre for those who are asymptomatic but cannot afford home isolation.

The centre had started as am emergency measure by the ITBP in July last year when the country, as well as the national capital, was reeling under the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. The world's largest Covid-19 case centre admitted patients referred by 11 hospitals in Delhi, including AIIMS, Safdarjung, Medanta and Max Hospital.

In November, the ITBP had announced increasing the capacity of Covid-19 beds from 2,000 to 3,000. These new beds were equipped with a proper supply of medical oxygen. The centre also has 75 dedicated ambulances.

The Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre is 1,700 feet long, 700 feet wide - roughly the size of 20 football fields - and has 200 enclosures with 50 beds each.

The Delhi government had provided administrative support, but the ITBP was operating the centre. Volunteers from the religious sect of Radha Soami Beas are also helping in its day-to-day functioning.