7,000 beds in more than 106 safe homes

Kolkata: The state government has already set up 106 'safe homes' across the state and many more are coming up. Around 1,078 Covid suspects have been put in the 'safe homes' so far.

The Health department has already arranged nearly 7,000 beds in the existing 'safe homes'. According to the Health department sources, steps have been taken to set up 50 more such units in different districts in South Bengal to accommodate the suspected patients and also those who reside in the congested slum areas.

Various civic bodies in association with the Health department have been striving hard to open more such units so that people living in the slums and also those who have space crunch in their houses can be shifted to these places.

Asymptomatic patients are also supposed to be accommodated here. Those whose one or two family members have been infected will also find places in these safe homes.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has come up with the idea of setting up more safe homes to accommodate more number of people. The KMC, a few days ago, unveiled its first 'safe home' for lodging and treatment of Covid patients with mild symptoms adjacent to a private hospital at Anandapur.

It has started functioning with a capacity of 400 beds. The main purpose is to keep the patients with mild symptoms separately in such 'safe homes' to ensure that the disease is not spread. There will be doctors, nurses, separate toilet facilities and all necessary infrastructure for treating Covid positive patients with mild symptoms. The civic body has earmarked some more buildings in the city for setting up more such 'safe homes'. The quarantine centre at Howrah's Baltikuri is being converted into a 'safe home'. A 12-storeyed building at Anandapur is also coming up with 800 beds.