1,000-bed RINL Covid care centre soon
image for illustrative purpose
Visakhapatnam BILLED as the largest Covid care centre by any industrial establishment in India at a single location, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, in addition to supply of oxygen, is making hectic efforts to start a 1,000-bed Covid Care Center at Ukkunagaram.
Ukkunagaram is the township of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
RINL, the corporate entity of VSP, which has been listed for privatisation by the Centre on January 27, has completed work on a 200-bed facility at Gurajada Kalakshetram. Initially, it will be made operational and later the bed strength will be increased in phases, a company spokesman told Bizz Buzz.
RINL already has provided 120-bed facility for Covid positive patients at Visakha Steel General Hospital. The company has completed work on oxygen pipelines at the Gurajada Kalakshetram.
"We have already requested the State Government to provide doctors and paramedics to man the 1,000-bed facility. We are confident of getting full support from the State authorities close on the heels of adopting a unanimous resolution in the Assembly recently urging the Centre to drop the decision to privatise RINL, its subsidiaries and joint ventures.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging financial restructuring, exploring stock options, allotment of captive iron ore mines, reducing raw material cost and monetisation of part of surplus lands of RINL.
The steel plant management has plans to create extra beds with oxygen facilities at Community Welfare Centre-1 and 2. "Now the ball is in the court of State Government. The Health Department should arrange required number of doctors and paramedics to man the huge facility contemplated by the RINL after it rose to the occasion in supply oxygen to Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and other States when the critically ill Covid positive patients were battling for life due to shortage in supply of oxygen," J Ayodharam, the recognised union president of RINL, said.
The cots required for this massive arrangement are being manufactured inside the works division of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant. Arrangements have been made for continuous supply of oxygen near the beds for the Covid patients at Gurajada Kalakshetram. Further in phased manner various community halls and public halls/spaces will be converted into hospital wards for treatment of Covid patients, RINL officials said.
