Mamata inaugurates Kolkata Police Hospital as a Covid hospital

KOLKATA: Kolkata Police Hospital in Bhowanipore has been converted into a Covid Hospital.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the Covid hospital virtually. Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Soumen Mitra, Commissioner of Police along with other senior officials were present at the meeting.

The hospital will be run on PPP mode and maintained by Medica Super Specialty Hospital and Bandhan Bank.

Dr Alok Roy, Chairman of Medica and Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Managing Director, Bandhan Bank were present.

Apart from policemen belonging to Kolkata Police and state police and home guards, common people suffering from Covid will receive treatment at the hospital.

Funds have been sanctioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

German Consul General Manfred Auster said: "I am pleased to see this additional Covid-facility to be inaugurated today at the old Kolkata Police Hospital financed with a contribution of almost 1.88 million Euros from the German government and rest 2.9 million Euros from PPP initiatives. Germany's solidarity thus reaches out to all parts of India affected by the pandemic. The partnership with Medica proved already effective during last year's relief efforts".

Sanctioned funds will be also be used for creating additional 300 Covid beds at Kishore Bharti Stadium and another 40 beds at the Medica Super-specialty Hospital.

Soumen Mitra said the police hospital was set up first in 1846 and housed at a building which was situated close to the Entally police station.

Later, it was shifted to another building in 1860.

The present hospital came up in 1919, over a century ago.