<p>In order to contain the spread of Covid-19, municipal and health authorities are pinning their hopes on the massive BIEC Covid Care Centre (CCC) near Madavara on Tumakuru Road.</p>.<p>Their move comes even as they battle staff shortage and commit to paying Rs 80.8 lakh per day to private companies renting beds and infrastructure.</p>.<p>One expert warned that the CCC could end up being a white elephant. A potential flaw is that the BBMP is planning to operate the facility only for three months, against expert warnings that the pandemic could spike well into 2021.</p>.<p>Sarfaraz Khan, joint commissioner, BBMP, said Rs 80.8 lakh per day is being paid to five city-based event-planning companies to outfit the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) with 10,100 steel-frame beds, mattresses, three sets of bedspreads, woolen blankets, towel pillow covers, a pedestal fan, a multi-charging point, a dustbin, and a mini TV for each bed.</p>.<p>The companies will also set up registration kiosks, medical stations, recreational areas, bathrooms, signboards, and rest centres for medical staff. Removable vinyl flooring will be draped across BIEC’s 77,200 square metres of floor space.</p>.<p>“The cost per patient per day is Rs 800,” Khan said. However, this sum does not cover medical and security staff salaries, food supplies (provided by Akshay Patra at the cost of Rs 250 per patient per day), electrical costs, and the cost of disinfecting Covid enclosures and common spaces.</p>.<p>Dr Giridhar Babu, an epidemiologist with the state Covid-19 expert committee, expressed skepticism that the CCCs will work as hoped. “These centers are more cost-effective as reverse quarantine centres, to house vulnerable people (senior citizens and people with comorbidities) living in the same households as mildly symptomatic Covid-19 patients,” he said. This could cut costs associated with the exhaustive sanitisation needed within Covid hospitalisation spaces. The situation is complicated by the revelation that the Sars-CoV-2 virus could be airborne, which enhances the risk of spread in enclosed spaces, such as those at BIEC.</p>.<p>“We face massive challenges, but we have to develop the (BIEC) CCC,” Khan admitted. “The plan is to at least get those Covid-19 patients struggling to find hospital beds off the streets.”</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Robot doctor for rounds</strong></p>.<p>The BBMP is struggling to get medical staff to operate the facility. The centre needs about 300 doctors, 600 nurses, and 300 cleaning staff to work in three-hour shifts, in addition to about 60 police.</p>.<p>Dr C N Manjunath, state nodal officer (Testing), said the government is mulling a robot doctor to conduct rounds in the centre. “Through this robot, medical staff can tele-consult with patients,” Dr Manjunath said.</p>
<p>In order to contain the spread of Covid-19, municipal and health authorities are pinning their hopes on the massive BIEC Covid Care Centre (CCC) near Madavara on Tumakuru Road.</p>.<p>Their move comes even as they battle staff shortage and commit to paying Rs 80.8 lakh per day to private companies renting beds and infrastructure.</p>.<p>One expert warned that the CCC could end up being a white elephant. A potential flaw is that the BBMP is planning to operate the facility only for three months, against expert warnings that the pandemic could spike well into 2021.</p>.<p>Sarfaraz Khan, joint commissioner, BBMP, said Rs 80.8 lakh per day is being paid to five city-based event-planning companies to outfit the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) with 10,100 steel-frame beds, mattresses, three sets of bedspreads, woolen blankets, towel pillow covers, a pedestal fan, a multi-charging point, a dustbin, and a mini TV for each bed.</p>.<p>The companies will also set up registration kiosks, medical stations, recreational areas, bathrooms, signboards, and rest centres for medical staff. Removable vinyl flooring will be draped across BIEC’s 77,200 square metres of floor space.</p>.<p>“The cost per patient per day is Rs 800,” Khan said. However, this sum does not cover medical and security staff salaries, food supplies (provided by Akshay Patra at the cost of Rs 250 per patient per day), electrical costs, and the cost of disinfecting Covid enclosures and common spaces.</p>.<p>Dr Giridhar Babu, an epidemiologist with the state Covid-19 expert committee, expressed skepticism that the CCCs will work as hoped. “These centers are more cost-effective as reverse quarantine centres, to house vulnerable people (senior citizens and people with comorbidities) living in the same households as mildly symptomatic Covid-19 patients,” he said. This could cut costs associated with the exhaustive sanitisation needed within Covid hospitalisation spaces. The situation is complicated by the revelation that the Sars-CoV-2 virus could be airborne, which enhances the risk of spread in enclosed spaces, such as those at BIEC.</p>.<p>“We face massive challenges, but we have to develop the (BIEC) CCC,” Khan admitted. “The plan is to at least get those Covid-19 patients struggling to find hospital beds off the streets.”</p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Robot doctor for rounds</strong></p>.<p>The BBMP is struggling to get medical staff to operate the facility. The centre needs about 300 doctors, 600 nurses, and 300 cleaning staff to work in three-hour shifts, in addition to about 60 police.</p>.<p>Dr C N Manjunath, state nodal officer (Testing), said the government is mulling a robot doctor to conduct rounds in the centre. “Through this robot, medical staff can tele-consult with patients,” Dr Manjunath said.</p>
