Inauguration of ICU of DRDO’s Covid hospital

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the temporary hospital, Pandit Rajan Mishra Covid Hospital that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has constructed at the amphitheatre ground of Banaras Hindu University opened its doors for the critical patients from government hospitals on Monday. The patients here are getting admitted for receiving special kind of treatment.

Kaushal Raj Sharma, the district magistrate stated, “In the initial phase, the 250-bed ICU wing of this 750-bed Covid facility set up by DRDO has become functional from today. Patients admitted at SPG divisional hospital, DDU district hospital, LBS government hospital, ESIC, BLW hospital and Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, who needed ICU facilities, were referred to the facility. A list of such patients was finalised and then their shifting was started.” No patients shall have a direct admission. Sharma concluded that each and every admission is to be made via Integrated Covid Command and Control Centre (ICCC) Varanasi under the district administration.

The way in which the patients shall get admission in the two wings with 500 oxygenated beds is expected to start on with the operation in the next few days. The Army doctors shall finalise this on the basis of experience of operating the ICU wing. The DM is very happy with the Ministry of Defence, DRDO and Army Medical Corps for constructing a temporary shelter to cope up with the bed and health care crisis.

The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) specialists, doctors, nurses and other medical staffs throughout the country is taking care of the patients. The officials told that the medical staffs have received training on the Covid norms and all the equipment are examined.

They stated that all the beds in the hospital have oxygen facilities and there is 40 KL oxygen in the three tanks.

The state government has made it sure that there is an enormous supply of all essential commodities that include oxygen, dedicated power, water supply, bio-medical and other waste management. Patients shall get medicines and food free of cost and phones are provided for the interaction of the patients with their attendants, the DM stated.

The patients’ attendants can stay in BHU and they shall get food without any extra charges. After the second wave of the virus created havoc, the Ministry of Defence started setting up temporary hospitals throughout the country. The DRDO’s Covid facility has started functioning in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Varanasi.