Kasargod: In just four days, the Kerala government has managed to transform a portion of the yet-to-be-completed Medical College hospital in Kasaragod, into a COVID-19 speciality centre.
The northernmost district, which is dependent on neighbouring Karnataka for most of its medical needs, has reported the highest number of 128 coronavirus patients in Kerala.
At least 10,836 people are under observation for the virus in the district.
Six patients have been admitted to the new centre and their condition is said to be stable.
"The COVID-19 speciality centre at the Kasaragod Medical College has started its operation. It took four days to complete the conversion of the medical college block into a COVID-19 treatment centre," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said on Monday.
Though a full-fledged Medical College hospital at nearby Ukkinadukka, conceived in 2013, is yet to become a reality, an unfinished block there has now been transformed in lightning speed to a speciality centre to treat coronavirus patients.
Kasaragod, the northernmost tip of Kerala, is largely dependent on Mangaluru in Karnataka for most of its medical needs.
A 26-member expert team from Thiruvananthapuram, on Monday, visited the facility to review and plan modalities on setting up ties including ventilators.
"We have admitted six patients in the hospital. All patients are stable. So satisfied that our team was really useful at Kasaragod," Dr S S Santhosh Kumar, who led the team from Thiruvananthapuram, said in a Facebook post.
The construction of the medical college hospital with four blocks have been progressing at a snail's pace since its foundation stone was laid in 2013.
With the coronavirus scare coupled with Karanataka closing its borders even for the critically ill, prompted the authorities come up with a solution to make use of the portion of the medical college hospital for treating coronavirus patients, who were hitherto being admitted to isolation wards at the district and general hospitals.
District Medical Officer (Health) Dr Ramadas said they have arranged 100 beds, besides few ICUs to cater to COVID-19 patients at the new facility.
It has a capacity to house as many as 400 patients, he said.
