Padmavati Nilayam to turn into Covid care centre in Tirupati

Tirupati: Efforts were on to make Sri Padmavati Nilayam in Tirupati as full-fledged Covid care centre which is now a quarantine centre.

At a review meeting held in Tirupati on Saturday evening, District Collector Dr N Bharat Gupta has asked AP Medical Services Infrastructure Development Corporation (APMSIDC) EE Dhananjaya Reddy to provide oxygen cylinders, masks and PPEs at Padmavati Nilayam immediately.

He directed Ruia Hospital superintendent Dr T Bharathi to send Covid positive cases which are asymptomatic to Sri Padmavati Nilayam and complete the expansion works of casualty and other pending works in the hospital. The Collector also said that test results should be announced only in accordance with ICMR guidelines. SVIMS medical superintendent Dr Ram has informed the Collector that they require one bio-safety cabinet with UV chamber for masks recycling and N-95 masks. Also, there is a need to make the present labs as negative pressure rooms as part of precautionary step in view of the three of its employees already tested positive. Collector Bharat Gupta has said that from May 11, NRIs will return to India from foreign countries and some of them will reach Tirupati airport. Every one of them should invariably go for 14-day quarantine as prescribed by the government. They can choose 5-star, 3-star or government quarantine facilities for the purpose at Tirupati, Chittoor or Madanapalle. Vehicles to transport them to their places of accommodation will be provided by government only and no private vehicle will be allowed.

Also, those coming from foreign countries should give self-declaration form on their arrival. They need to take a sim card at airport itself and download Aarogya Setu app. Assistant Collector Prudhvi Tej, RDO V Kanaka Narasa Reddy, Airport Director S Suresh, Sri Padmavati Nilayam centre in-charge S Lakshmi, Covid nodal officer Chandrasekhar, APSTDC divisional manager RV Suresh Kumar Reddy, District Tourism Officer DV Chandra Mouli Reddy and others participated.