Army to run Covid facility for civilians at Patiala hospital

PATIALA : With the Covid-19 patient load rising by the day, the army has stepped in to assist the Patiala district administration in providing medical treatment to infected patients.

A team of 70, including seven doctors of the army’s Western Command, has landed in Patiala to take over the 100-bed superspecialty wing of the Rajindra Hospital, where it will run a Covid treatment facility.

Army doctors Major Suleman, Major Gaurav, Major Ramneek Kaur and others visited the site and took stock of medical facilities. Ramneek hails from Patiala and has served in many sensitive places, including Kashmir.

It was after the appeal of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh that the army decided to join the administration in the fight against the virus.

Patiala Development Authority chief administrator Surbhi Malik, who is the coordinator between the army and the hospital authorities, said the forces will run a facility independently at Rajindra Hospital. “This initiative will further boost the Covid treatment facilities at Rajindra Hospital, which is catering to a huge population of the state,” she said. The army is already deployed at the hospital to handle the bodies of Covid victims.

Meanwhile, the Jalandhar police have opened their hospital to civilians to ensure vaccination of all citizens against Covid-19. “Due to a deadlier second pandemic wave, it is imperative that all eligible citizens be inoculated, so the police hospital has opened doors to the public for the same,” said police commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.

Four oxygen plants to come up in district

The process to install four oxygen generation units in Patiala district has been initiated, officials said on Monday.

Patiala deputy commissioner Amit Kumar said one unit each was being set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Nabha Power at Mata Kushalya Hospital, while Torrent Gas was setting up oxygen units at Nabha civil hospital and Sarbat Da Bhala Trust in Model Town.

“The installation work of the medical oxygen unit being set up by DRDO at Mata Kushalya Hospital has been started. It will be able to generate 10,000 litres of oxygen per day. The estimated cost of the work is ₹10 crore,” the DC said.

He said that foundation cum platform was being set up for commissioning the unit and after that the unit would start production, soon after installing the machinery.