Guwahati: If the Assam State Government is to be believed, the state is all set to witness a major coronavirus "explosion" in the month of August. The Central Government too is of the opinion that the numbers are expected to go up dramatically next month. Thus, the Assam State health machinery has been left with no other option but to boost its treatment infrastructure by setting up COVID Care Centers.
Across India, it has become quite commonplace to turn stadiums into COVID-19 facilities. In Assam too, the Government's foresight to turn the stadium at Sarusajai in Guwahati into a 1,000-bed quarantine facility even before the virus landed ashore was lauded by all and sundry. Now, the Nehru Stadium in Ulubari, renowned across the city for hosting international cricket matches, has also played host to a COVID-19 Care Center.
"Another COVID-19 Care Center, with a capacity of 850 beds, has been set up at Nehru Stadium, Guwahati. It shall soon become functional. Visited the site today to inspect ongoing preparations for its opening", Himanta Biswa Sarma, who visited the site today, wrote in a tweet.
Another much-publicized COVID-19 facility is also being set up at the Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management and Technology in Azara. "A COVID-19 Care Center with a capacity of at least 1000 beds will soon be functional at Girijananda Chowdhury Institute of Management & Technology in Azara, hence adding up to our medical facilities & infrastructure. Visited the facility to review the ongoing work", Sarma announced on Twitter.
Similarly, the junior minister Pijush Hazarika also inaugurated a COVID Care facility in the district of Darrang where the outbreak, quite frankly, has spiraled out of control. Out of the 66 cases in Assam, 3 have been reported from Darrang alone.
Meanwhile, the Assam health minister has prophesied that the number of coronavirus cases in Assam will rise dramatically after August 1. Terming the coronavirus trend in Assam as an "elastic situation" in a televised interview, Sarma predicted that the number of cases in Guwahati shall rise by 750-1,000 from August 1 onwards. "Since they (the patients) will have to be in COVID Care Centre for 10 days, we will have to be ready with 7,500 to 10,000 slots to accommodate these people in hospitals, COVID Care Centres, Nursing Homes, Home Quarantine, etc", Sarma said during a televised interview yesterday, sounding the red alert.
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