K'taka Home Minister converts his house to 50-bed COVID-19 care centre

HUBBALLI: The Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai's house has been turned into a Covid Care Centre (CCC) in Shiggaon town of Haveri district. To overcome bed shortage in hospitals at his home constituency, Bommai handed over his house which could treat 50 Covid-19 patients with oxygen facility.

This is the first time when a minister's residence has been converted as Covid Care Centre. Shiggaon is a small town in north Karnataka and Bommai represents Shiggaon constituency in the state assembly. 

As many as 50 beds have been set up at the verandah of his house with needy medical facilities. Very soon 50 oxygen concentrators, that are expected arrive in the next few days, will be installed near each bed to provide oxygen to ailing Covid-19 patients. 

The centre will reduce the burden in the Shiggaon taluk hospital.

Inspecting the facilities at his house, Bommai said a team of medical professionals including government and private doctors and nurses will be deployed in this CCC to attend patients round the clock.

Bommai stays in Hubballi with his family but would stay in his Shiggaon residence whenever he visits his home constituency.

There are 88 beds, including 44 oxygenated ones, in Shiggaon Taluk Hospital and five ventilators and ICU. All the beds are occupied with COVID-19-infected persons. 

Dr P H Hanumantappa, Chief Medical Officer, general hospital, Shiggaon said all beds in the hospital are full of patients. Those who are recovering in the hospital will be shifted to CCC at the minister's house premises and treated there. They will be discharged after complete recovery.