Stalin dedicates 500-bed COVID centre at Salem Steel Plant
Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday dedicated the 500-bed COVID-19 treatment centre with medical oxygen support at Salem Steel Plant in Salem district.
Within the next 10 days, Stalin has asked officials to increase the bed strength in the steel plant by another 500 beds with medical oxygen support to make the centre into one among the best. Medical oxygen is generated and supplied directly from the plant to the treatment centre that has facilities including ICU, laboratory, pharmacy, expert doctors, nurses and modernised equipment.
After inaugurating the COVID-19 treatment centre, the Chief Minister visited an Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) on the way to Tirupur in Magudanchavadi and interacted with the health care workers.
Earlier at the airport, Stalin presented a book to a young woman S Ilayarani from Seelanaickenpatti for helping a 70-year-old woman by taking her to a hospital in her two-wheeler. The elderly woman had fainted on the road and none other came for her rescue out of fear that she may be infected by COVID-19.
In Coimbatore, the Chief Minister reviewed COVID control measures and held a discussion with industrialists, who also presented a memorandum of their issues. BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan handed out a petition to CM Stalin demanding to increase oxygen allocation to Coimbatore, ramp up medical oxygen beds with ventilator facility, increase testing and allot a certain number of beds in private hospitals for treatment under Chief Minister Health Insurance Scheme.
The Chief Minister then inspected the COVID treatment centre in Codissia, where 253 beds have been added to the existing 1,280bed strength and another 225 more under Sidha care treatment.
During the inspection, the post graduate medical students petitioned the CM seeking to increase their stipend amount.
Stalin also inaugurated an 800-bed centre set up in a private college in Coimbatore. This is the first official visit of Stalin to Western districts after becoming Chief Minister to review COVID-19 relief works undertaken in Salem, Tirupur and Coimbatore districts. He is likely to visit Madurai and Tiruchy on Friday.