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India: Oxygenated Covid-19 treatment centre opens at Bengaluru airport

Bengaluru - Treatment will be free for all patients, but they have to pay for medicines, tests and self-arranged ambulances.

A 150-bed oxygenated Covid-19 treatment centre opened at Bengaluru international airport on Wednesday to treat both the general public and employees at the sprawling airport complex.

Patients must carry their Aadhar card, prescription provided by a referral hospital and relevant medical documents to be treated at the centre, said a spokesperson of the Bengaluru International Airport Ltd.

The centre will treat patients who are asymptomatic and with mild hypoxia, where they are deprived of oxygen supply at the tissue level.

“It is designed to be a transit oxygen delivery centre, which would provide much-needed relief and treatment for patients requiring oxygen support until they are able to get admission in a hospital,” said the spokesperson.

“This facility is not equipped to treat pregnant women or moderate cases and those requiring high flow oxygen support / ICU beds.”

While treatment would be free for all patients, they will have pay for medicines, tests and self-arranged ambulances.

Interestingly, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) launched its ‘ICU on wheels,’ on Wednesday, deploying vehicles with ambulance-type equipment.

“Transport corporations have been instructed to provide oxygen buses in all districts under public-private partnerships in the backdrop of rising Covid cases,” said Shivayogi C Kalasad, the managing director of KSRTC.

One of the worst-hit states in India, Karnataka reported 34,281 new Covid cases on Wednesday and 468 fatalities. Total infections shot up to 2.3 million and the state has seen 23,306 people succumb to Covid.