PMO directs installation of 150 ventilators at ITBP Covid centre in city

New Delhi: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has provided 150 medical ventilator machines from the PM CARES fund to a Delhi-based COVID care centre run by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), officials said on Saturday.

Bhaskar Khulbe, Advisor to the PM, has written in this context to the Union Health Ministry, as per a copy of the letter provided by ITBP officials.

The 150 ventilators, equipped with global positioning system (GPS), will be installed at the Sardar Patel COVID Care Centre (SPCCC) that began operating on April 26 at the Radha Soami Beas campus in south Delhi's Chhattarpur area. The ITBP, a border guarding force, has been entrusted to run the centre with the administrative support and funding of the state government.

The SPCCC was opened by the Centre on Delhi government's request in view of the recent massive surge in coronavirus infections in the national capital. The PMO letter stated that the ventilators will be made available from the PM CARES Trust Fund on a loan basis of six months now, which if necessary, may be extended further on review. The life-saving equipment will be used to address the "needs of critical patients" at the SPCCC, it said, adding that the request seeking these equipments was made by ITBP chief S S Deswal.

As per statistics provided by ITBP, about 607 people were admitted at SPCCC which include 417 male and 190 female. 206 patients were discharged whereas 36 patients died. The data also shows

that 36 were also referred. "Currently 305 beds are occupied," data shows.