Sambalpur: The State government on Wednesday decided to set up an additional COVID-19 specialty hospital at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla.
Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra informed this after reviewing the COVID situation in Sambalpur district today.
Briefing the media after a review meeting with the VIMSAR authorities in presence of Additional Chief Secretary, Health Pradipa Mohapatra, DMET CBK Mohanty and Director, Public Health Niranjan Mishra, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said that the second COVID hospital in the newly-constructed medicine ward will be ready in 10 days.
It will have 250 general beds with oxygen facilities and 50 ICUs. Besides, 30 ICUs will be added to the existing COVID Hospital which currently has 20 ICUs.
In total it will have 50 ICUs and 175 general beds. There is a target to create more than 525 beds at VIMSAR.
Mohapatra reviewed the COVID-19 situation in Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Bargarh districts along with the Health Secretary and Director of Medical Education & Training (DMET).
While medicine and other needed equipment are sufficient in the districts of Jharsuguda and Bargarh, there is a need to be prepared for the future in view of the surge in Covid-19 infections in neighbouring states Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, he added.
