AP Govt notifies 31 pvt, corporate hospitals as quarantine centres for coronavirus

Nellore: District administration enforced judicial powers to take over the premises of private and corporate hospitals in the district and the Collector issued a special gazette notification on Sunday taking over premises of 31 hospitals in the entire district for utilising them to provide treatment to Covid-19 patients.

District Collector and Magistrate M V Seshagiri Babu announced in the gazette notification that premises of private and corporate hospitals across the district would be used for government purposes following the directions of the State government.

In fact, Health, Medical, and Family Welfare Department had issued directions on Sunday empowering the District Collectors to take over services of all private hospitals in the State as the Centre had declared Covid-19 as a National Disaster and the State government acted according to the provisions of the Disaster Management Act 2005 and AP Covid Regulations 2020 keeping in view the increasing number of corona cases in the State.

So, the District Collector had issued notification for taking over 31 hospitals located in Nellore city, Kavali, Gudur and Venkatagiri town areas where 3,283 beds are available. Of these, 3,000 beds are available in Nellore city itself to meet the demand.

The State government also made the local Government General Hospital as regional centre for corona cases from Nellore, Prakasam and Kadapa districts.

The government invoked Section 2 of Epidemic Act 1897 and declared these hospitals as Temporary Quarantine Facility Centres and if any violation by the managements and it would be viewed seriously as per provisions under Section-188 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) and the directions came into force immediately from Sunday, the gazette notification (No. 86) explained. Further, the district administration has already started general medical services at Narayana General Hospital where there is a provision for around 1,000 beds. The existing GGH premises is getting ready for accommodating the Covid-19 suspects and patients from the three districts.