Bengaluru's largest Covid-19 care facility to shut down from September 15

Bengaluru: The Covid Care Centre (CCC), said to be second largest after the one in the national capital, will shut down on September 15.

The decision came in the wake of footfall in the number of the patients opting for home isolation rather than going for institutional quarantine.

The 10,000 bedded facility was inaugurated on July 27 with pomp.

Out of 10,000 beds, 5,500 beds will be sent to university and government institutions. The social welfare department will get over 2,000 sets of furniture, horticulture university in Bagalkot (1,000) and Minority welfare department hostel will get 1,000.

Earlier in August, Rajendra Kataria told TNM even when they were expecting a demand for the government-run CCCs, they had decided not to expand the number of beds in BIEC. He had then said that the idea behind not expanding BIEC is to allow businesses to open up as quickly as possible when they can.

Instead, he said the government was targeting idle facilities like school and college hostels which were lying vacant and untapped medical and paramedical college facilities.

Even before its launch the Covid facility was entangled in controversy with the government accusing the BBMP of indulging in corruption over procurement of essentials like beds for the facility.

The cost of renting the equipment for the facility had cost them Rs 24 crore and buying them only cost Rs 4.23 cr.

Meanwhile, health officials in Karnataka strongly feel that opening up of the economy while simultaneously increasing the number of tests in recent weeks has resulted in a substantial rise in COVID-19 cases in the state.

Speaking to IANS, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Manjunath Prasad concurred that the opening up of lockdown in June-July onwards has resulted in cases increasing in Bengaluru.

"We did planning for lockdown, but it is also true that many people who came from outside towns, states, and countries did not follow the quarantine procedures, thus it spread to a large extent. Besides this, post-lockdown, many did not show up for tests at the early stage, which is now resulting in rise in COVID-related deaths as well."

He asserted that the infrastructure in government-owned hospitals is adequate enough at the present rate of cases.

He also regretted that people in Bengaluru were not following precautionary measures such as wearing masks.

"Though many wear masks, they do not wear it properly like covering their nose as well as mouth. Although the BBMP is keeping strict vigil on those who flout mask rules, it is equally true that the authorities cannot keep an eye on each and every individual in a city like Bengaluru," the Commissioner added.

Apart from this, he claimed that the number of tests has also gone up substantially in recent weeks which has also resulted in a steady rise in the number of cases.