Setting up Covid centres in Thane gram panchayats: Collector

With the state government banning home isolation for Covid patients in 18 districts; the Thane district collector has informed that they are making arrangements to set up Covid care centres (CCC) in various gram panchayats, within rural areas of Thane district

With the state government banning home isolation for Covid patients in 18 districts; the Thane district collector has informed that they are making arrangements to set up Covid care centres (CCC) in various gram panchayats, within rural areas of Thane district.

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These are being set up within zilla parishad schools and ashramshalas that are located within the proximity of the public health centres in the rural areas.

The district’s rural areas have witnessed around 36,000 cases last year, whereas the district’s rural areas have already recorded 61,114 cases in five months of this year. Keeping this in mind, the preparations for the possible third wave has begun in the Thane district. There are 2,181 active patients, of which, around 1,546 patients in home isolation and 219 in CCC. The collector has shortlisted three spots in Bhiwandi rural, Shelar grampanchayat and Shenale village in Murbad to build a 30-60 bedded CCC.

“We are having one CCC in each taluka and in case of a bigger taluka, we are looking for a suitable space in a cluster of gram panchayat to build CCC. By preferring institutional quarantine, we can curb the further spread of the virus. Moreover, immediate medical help can also be provided in case any individual has more symptoms or health issues,” said Rajesh Narvekar, collector, Thane district.

Similarly, Thane Municipal Corporation has made basic preparations for the same, “We already have a centre in Bhayanderpada which is being used as a CCC; it has ample space. With the available infrastructure, if need be we can easily increase the number of beds and provisions in CCC,” said Sandeep Malvi, deputy municipal commissioner, TMC.

As of now, TMC has 86% beds available, from among the 895 CCC beds available. Thane city currently has 2,105 active cases and 678 from among them are under home quarantine. During the peak of cases in mid-April, the city witnessed 16,700 active cases and around 12,650 were under home quarantine during that period.