State govt scrambles to set up quarantine facilities in Ggm

GURUGRAM: The state government is setting up three quarantine facilities with a total capacity of 650 beds in different parts of the district for Indian travellers arriving from countries severely affected by the novel coronavirus, officials from the health department said on Saturday. On Friday evening, a 300-bed quarantine facility at the SGT Medical College, a private institute on the outskirts of the city, was set up by health department.

On late Friday night, a team of the district health department, along with senior officials of the administration, was at the SGT Medical College, Chandu Budhera, to receive Indian travellers from European countries, who were to be quarantined for 14 days. “They were supposed to reach the campus at 1am. The plans, however, changed at the last minute and they were taken to a facility in Delhi. On Saturday morning also, the evacuees were to reach Gurugram but there was a change in the plan,” said a senior health official, who preferred anonymity.

On Saturday, the health team finalised locations for additional quarantine facilities that can together accommodate 650 people. These are — 400-bed facility at government college in Sector 9, 100-bed centre at Teacher Bhawan Hostel in Sector 11 and 150-bed facility in Pataudi.

“We need to be prepared for whatever situation unfolds in ,” said Rajeev Arora, additional chief secretary, health department. “Currently, we are considering locations with existing infrastructure like private medical college and hostels in government universities and colleges,” he said.