Telangana transforms 14-storey tower into COVID-19 hospital in 20 days

: It just took 20 days for theTelangana government to convert a 14-storeytower at Gachibowli sports complex here, into a 1,500-bedded COVID-19 special hospital.About 1,000 workforce sweated it out to convert the complex, constructed in 2002, into a full-pledged coronavirus hospital with 50 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, a senior official of Telangana government involved in the execution of the healthcare centre said adding the facility is ready to accommodate patients.The official said the state government proved that not only China which has reportedly built a makeshift 1,000-bedded hospital in just ten days in Wuhan at the peak of coronavirus spread, Telangana can also do wonders in terms of making quick decisions and execution of plans.Telangana State Medical Services Infrastructure Development Corporation (TSMSIDC) undertook the task and finished it in less than three weeks.As on Monday, Telangana has 663 active cases of COVID-19 and 23 people died of the virus."It is a refurbished hospital. They used the first seven floors a decade ago. The remaining six floors were in semi-finished condition and never put into use. As soon as we got the nod from the state government we started working on that made it ready in 20 days. The hospital is now ready to take patients," the official told P T I.There were either no basic facilities or poor amenities such as water, sanitation and plumbing at the complex when the infra corporation took up the task, the official added.All the verticals of TSMSIDC such as surgical and amenities wings worked in unison on floor-management basis."We took up each floor as a unit and finished the building. At the same time other necessities such gas and oxygen pipelines were simultaneously connected. The work was done in coordination with the Medical and Health department," the official added.The hospital currently has four lifts and another three or four will come into use in a few days.Another official said as many as 400 doctors and double the number of nursing staff can work at the new facility.Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had on April 19 said the hospital will later be converted into a super- specialty hospital known as Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS).Chandrasekhar Reddy, managing director of TSMSIDC, said it was a turnkey project taken up on emergency basis to convert thesports towerinto a hospital with all necessary infrastructure.Reddy said after the COVID-19 upsurge comes down the TSMSIDC will start working on the plans to convert it into a super specialty hospital as envisaged by KCR.

Telangana transforms 14-storey tower into COVID-19 hospital in 20 days

More From This Section

Coronavirus: Central team visits Mumbai hospital, civic body

Lara Dutta, Rinku Rajguru's digital debut 'Hundred' to stream from April 25

Centre asks states to remain cautious during Ramzan; ensure no gatherings in mosques

Quectel launches Wi-Fi 6 modules to bring premium performance to indoor and automotive networks

Explore News