Cuttack: The Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) here is gearing up to tackle any possible outbreak of coronavirus in the state.
The premium state-run hospital has already opened a special isolation ward at the ophthalmology department to treat people infected with the deadly virus.
The isolation ward has 56 beds and eight intensive care units (ICUs) to treat coronavirus patients.
“Certain other important departments of the hospital are also functioning from the building that houses the coronavirus isolation ward. Some senior doctors had urged the hospital authorities to relocate the isolation ward to somewhere else,” said a source in SCBMCH.
According to sources, the hospital authorities have decided to open a new isolation ward for coronavirus patients and suspects at the building of a nursing college on SCBMCH premises. “The nursing college has been shut as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus. The hospital authorities have decided to open a new isolation ward at the 6th floor of the building that houses the nursing college,” said a senior doctor.
It is learnt that the new isolation ward would have 200 beds initially and the hospital authorities may use the other five floors of the nursing college building to accommodate more number of coronavirus patients.
This apart, the hospital authorities have decided to set up at least 60 ICUs at the centre of excellence building of pulmonary medicine department to treat critically-ill coronavirus patients. “All these works are being done on a war footing. The district collector and senior officials of the hospital inspected the work Saturday,” said the doctor.
