Bengaluru's Covid Care Centres remain empty with falling daily caseload

Though the South Zone has the highest number of Covid Care Centres with six, four of them remain empty

With the daily caseload declining and people getting cured in home isolation, the BBMP’s Covid Care Centres did not have many users.

The civic body has set up 19 CCCs in various zones of the city to help Covid patients who do not have the facility at home for isolation, fearing a surge in the number of hospital admissions due to mild and moderate symptoms. It had also revamped 11 CCCs and kept them on standby in case of the worst scenario.

As per data accessed from the BBMP last week, only 69 beds out of the total 1,687 were occupied by Covid patients.

“We are keeping a close watch on the number of admissions at CCCs. Initially, we had only two CCCs with a capacity of 90 beds and by January first week, 70 beds were occupied. Since cases were increasing, we decided to open up more CCCs to assist those who can’t isolate themselves at home,” a senior Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official said.

The official noted that a low turnout was expected. “Given that many of them are witnessing only mild symptoms, it is expected that the number of people walking into the CCCs will be less. However, we want to be prepared and make sure that there are no surprises,” the BBMP official said.

BBMP war room data showed a gradual increase in the number of admissions since December 26, though the number of admissions at the CCCs is less. While there was only one patient at the CCC on December 26, the number of admissions rose to 51 by January 7 and 110 by January 17.

The data showed the surprising trend that all the 69 patients had been admitted to general beds and the 776 oxygen beds had been empty.

Dasarahalli, which reports the least number of cases among the eight zones, recorded the highest number of CCC admissions with 18 cases.

Though the South Zone has the highest number of CCCs with six, four of them remain empty. Similarly, CCCs in RR Nagar, Yelahanka, and Bommanahalli also have zero admissions.

At a glance

Total number of beds: 1,687

General beds occupied: 69

Oxygen beds occupied: 0

Highest occupancy: Karmika Bhavan CCC (Dasarahalli): 18

Zero occupancy: 10 CCCs

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