Tata's 540-bed Covid-19 hospital in Kasaragod may become functional in August

Udma MLA K Kunhiraman reviewing construction of Tata's 540-bed hospital getting ready in Kasargod.

In a boost to Kasaragod's healthcare sector, a 540-bed Covid-19 hospital being set up by Tata is nearing completion.

The state government has also initiated steps for recruiting doctors and other staff for the hospital and it is expected to be commissioned by next month.

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Tata offered to set up the Covid-19 hospital after the Kasaragod district's weak healthcare infrastructure got highlighted when the district witnessed an alarming increase in Covid-19 positive patients in March. The hospital is coming up at Thekkil, about 10 kilometres from Kasaragod town.

Work on the hospital began at the end of April at a land allotted by the state government. As many as 128 fibre reinforced polymer units have been installed. There will three zones, two catering to quarantine facility and one for treating Covid-19 patients.

Tata is setting up the infrastructure with basic amenities at a cost of around Rs 60 crore, while the state government will have to set up medical infrastructures like ventilators and IC units and widen the road.

Udma MLA K Kunhiraman, who reviewed the progress of work on Tuesday, told DH that notification for recruitment was already issued. The hospital would start function by next month, he said.

At present, the district has over 400 active patients. Around 30 areas of the district have been identified as hotspots. Hence the number of patients are likely to go up. Following the grim scenario in the district, the government had converted the administrative block of the upcoming medical college to a Covid-19 hospital on a war-footing in April.

Meanwhile, one curious question that is doing the rounds in Kasaragod now is whether Tata's Covid-19 care facility would be a permanent one.

Kunhiraman said that since Tata would be handing over the facility to Kerala government as part of their CSR project, the state government could effectively retain it as a hospital for the district. The government, however, will take a final call on the matter, he said.