Volvo Group joins hands with BBMP, Ikea to set up 100-bed COVID centre

New Delhi: Swedish automotive firm Volvo Group on Friday said it has joined hands with Bengaluru”s civic body BBMP and compatriot IKEA to set up a 100-bed COVID care centre.
The facility set up at the Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology on Old Madras Road will commence operations in two phases. It has been equipped to cater to COVID-19 positive individuals, who are either asymptomatic or exhibiting mild symptoms or seeking isolation services, the company said in a statement.

Phase I comprising 40 beds, fully sponsored by Volvo Group and supported by another Swedish major IKEA India, has been inaugurated on Friday, it added.

The facility is equipped with oxygen concentrators, necessary medical equipment, amenities such as food, medicines, well-furnished rooms with IKEA beds and furnishings, treatment and care by on-site doctors and nursing staff free of charge, as per the standards and protocol defined by the government of Karnataka, the company added.

“This facility is planned to be operational until the 30th of June 2021 and during the course, BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) will extend the same by another 60 beds, based on the demand. In the second phase BBMP plans 20 beds as a High-Dependency Unit (HDU),” it said.

Volvo Group India President & Managing Director Kamal Bali and Ikea India CEO Peter Betzel in a joint statement said, “Volvo and IKEA India are glad to collaborate in this COVID care centre that would enable the many people to access the much-needed support and alleviate the stress and suffering that the current wave has brought upon us all”.

Volvo Group said it has contracted with AyurVAID Hospitals and PCMH Restore Health, which will provide and administer an appropriately integrated medical approach of allopathic and Ayurvedic treatment and have also tied up with Aster Labs for Diagnostic Tests.

Ambulance service is also available in the facility and in case of escalation, the patient would be shifted by BBMP to their designated government or private hospital for further treatment.

The admission to this facility shall be as per the predefined centralized admission procedure of BBMP and through walk-ins, it added.

“The second wave of COVID-19 has been highly virulent and fast-spreading, and this can be overwhelming for any administration or healthcare system anywhere in the world. It is indeed a gratifying experience to be able to help save lives,”