New Delhi: A 500-bed COVID-19 care centre set up at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) village in East Delhi is scheduled to begin operations from Wednesday.
Ahead of the formal inauguration, ETV Bharat reached the centre to take stock of the preparations.
All beds at the centre have been provided with towels, a stool, individual dustbins and even toiletries. The centre has also been provided with bio toilets for the patients.
Further, the beds have been separated into three categories - male and female wards, along with a High Dependency Unit (HDU).
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Dr Rajat Jain, chairman of Doctors For You (DFY) which is overseeing operations at the centre, said that every patient has been provided with individual buckets and toiletries to ensure that there is no cross infection.
He explained that the centre has adopted many unique features. "Every bed has a bell, which when pressed will intimate the health-workers about the patients needs," Jain said.
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Further, each patient can also be individually monitored thanks to the CCTV cameras installed. Doctors at the centre will be able to monitor patients through CCTV footage right from their smartphones, Jain said.
50 HDU beds for patients with oxygen needs
Apart from the regular beds, the centre also has a high dependency unit (HDU) with 50 beds, where patients requiring continuous oxygen support will be kept. Every bed in the unit is equipped with individual oxygen cylinders and oxymeters.
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"Here the patients will be under continuous oxygen support. However, if their condition worsens, we will directly shift them to the hospital from here," Jain said, adding that the capacity of the HDU can be scaled up if the need arises.
Patients' mental health also taken into consideration
Apart from the medical point of view, the centre has also tried to adopt features taking into consideration the patients' mental health.
"Only providing beds is not enough. Patients are confined to their beds for around two weeks without their loved ones. Further the word 'corona' itself instills a sense of fear," Jain said.
"To ensure that patients are not psychologically disturbed, light music will be played at the centre. The TVs installed here will play motivational messages, and board games have also been provided for the patients to remain occupied," he added.
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