Coronavirus | Chennai Corporation begins work on largest care centre

Facility in Pulianthope will house 1,728 patients; bed capacity to hit 10,000 soon

The Chennai Corporation started work on setting up the city’s largest COVID-19 care centre (CCC) in Kesava Pillai Park, Pulianthope, invoking the provisions of the Disaster Management Act. This move is expected to improve disaster preparedness during the pandemic.

The city has reported 12,762 novel coronavirus patients, with 6,229 active cases that require CCCs. Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, Tondiarpet, Teynampet and Kodambakkam zones have hundreds of patients.

The CCC in Pulianthope will house 1,728 patients, making it the largest in the city, according to officials.

With a rise in the number of positive cases in the city, the civic body is preparing to set up over 10,000 beds in various CCCs.

An official said the number of patients currently admitted to CCCs is 1,495. The Chennai Trade Centre was the largest CCC in the city, treating 463 patients who were transferred from Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

The Corporation CCCs in Velammal Engineering College with 289 patients from Government Stanley Medical College Hospital; St. Joseph College of Engineering with 251 patients from Omandurar Government Medical College Hospital; IIT-Madras with 209 patients from KMC, Omandurar Government Medical College Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital; D.G. Vaishnav College with 183 patients and Loyola College with 113 patients were inadequate for the rising number of cases in the city.

“The COVID-19 care centre in Pulianthope will treat people in the same locality. The congested area has reported many COVID-19 positive cases,” said an official.

Additional institutions

With a rise in number of COVID-19 positive cases in eight zones, the civic agency has identified 47 colleges for conversion into additional CCCs for 12,657 patients.

Currently, the civic body has installed 10,057 beds in the centres. As many as 28 private premises and 19 government buildings were converted into CCCs.

At a meeting on Friday, the Corporation decided to develop over 45,000 quarantine spaces for cocooning elders and extended contacts. It has intensified fever surveillance in all the 200 wards to contain the spread of COVID-19. Fever clinics have been set up in all localities.