With a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, work has started to add 500 beds to the Government Erode Medical College Hospital (GEMCH) at Perundurai.
There are currently 550 beds at the hospital providing treatment only to COVID-19 positive patients. Since the beds were occupied and the demand for beds attached with oxygen and ventilator support has gone up, the district administration proposed to add more.
On Sunday, S. Muthusamy, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, along with Collector C. Kathiravan laid the foundation stone for establishing the facility in the hospital premises.
Addressing media persons, the minister said that while 300 beds will be ready within 10 days, another 200 beds will be ready in 25 days. “Patients from nearby districts also come to the hospital and hence we decided to add 500 beds”, he added.
Mr. Muthusamy said that testing for persons with symptoms, treatment for patients and vaccination for the public will be done at separate places to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19 patients are treated only at the GEMCH, Perundurai, and at the District Headquarters Hospital that has 150 beds apart from the private hospitals. “The rest of taluk government hospitals and primary health centres will treat only general patients”, he added.
Superintendent of Police P. Thangadurai, District Revenue Officer P. Murugesan, Corporation Commissioner M. Elangovan, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, K. Selvarasu, R. Mani, Dean, GEMCH and officials were present.
