E-Paper
Sports complex in Dombivli converted into 185-bed Covid-19 facility
The civic body on Monday converted the spacious Savlaram Maharaj Krida Sankul (Dombivli MIDC sports complex) into a dedicated Covid care centre (DCCC), which will
The civic body on Monday converted the spacious Savlaram Maharaj Krida Sankul (Dombivli MIDC sports complex) into a dedicated Covid care centre (DCCC), which will start admitting patients from Tuesday morning. The facility has 155 oxygen beds and 30 intensive care units (ICU) beds.
The civic body utilised around 14,000 sq ft area of the total 80,000 sq ft area of the ground to set up the facility.
The DCCC will also have 10 ventilators, 15 BiPAP machines and 10 high-flow nasal cannula. There will be 95 medical staffers deployed at the facility.
The civic body will shift patients from the overburdened Shastrinagar civic hospital in Dombivli.
“This centre will provide a major relief to the civic hospital. Patients will be sent to the new centre without any delay now,” said municipal commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi.
On Monday, Suryavanshi, along with Kalyan parliamentarian Shrikant Shinde, major Vinita Patil, city engineer Sapna Koli and corporator Dipesh Mhatre, visited the centre.
“The civic body agreed to admit the patients from Tuesday morning based on their health status. Patients who oxygen support will be given a priority. More beds will be set up if needed, “said Mhatre.
.The centre also has arrangements for doctors and other staff members to stay and food will also be made available to them. The facility also has provisions for light music for patients to alleviate their mind from stress.
The decision to convert the sports complex into a Covid-19 facility was taken after Kalyan and Dombivli witnessed a rapid surge in the cases since June. The civic body also plans to set up around 1,000 at Dombivli Gymkhana, Patidhar Hall, Dombivli Art Gallery and Asra School in Kalyan.
Meanwhile on Monday, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) recorded 413 new cases and four deaths, taking the total number of cases to 9,499 and death toll to 144.
Citizens’ body writes to civic corporation
The Alert Citizens’ Forum in Kalyan wrote to KDMC and Thane collector complaining about the problems residents face in the city during admissions to hospitals and while Covid-19 testing.
In their letter, the body has mentioned that despite the state’s notification, patients are being charged more than the permitted amounts at the civic-run Bai Rukminibai civic hospital and no valid receipts are provided to them, even as social distancing norms are flouted at all civic hospitals. The forum also claimed that there is no co-operation from private hospitals either, as many deny to admit patients on the pretext of non-availability of beds. The letter also claimed that hygiene and sanitation measures are not undertaken at one of the quarantine centres.
“There is no display on availability of beds in the hospitals and patients are clueless where to go during emergencies. The civic body did not make any platform were one can look for beds and decide. We forwarded the complaints of the citizens to the authorities so that some measures are taken,”said Sreeniwas Ghanekar, founder of the forum.
