Tata-built COVID hospital to be converted into tea stalls; Tender for private Individuals if required

KASARAGOD: The Covid hospital built by the Tata Group during the Covid pandemic will now be converted into a tea shop, a rest center and a warehouse. After the demolition of the hospital built at a cost of 60 crores, the authorities decided to use it in a different way. The authorities have found another way to use the demolished containers to avoid the disgrace of demolishing the hospital built at a cost of crores of rupees.

The process of unpacking the containers and handing them over to various departments of the government is in progress. In the first phase, 24 containers will be moved from the construction site to build the critical care unit that will be launched on site. 4 for the District Construction Centre, 10 for the Harbour Engineer Department, 4 for the DTPC, 2 for the Forest Department and 4 for the Fisheries Fed.

The Tata Group has built and handed over 540 beds of prefabricated containers to the government in Thekkil Village. There are more than 300 people in this institution, including those affected by Covid. The destruction of the hospital's container due to lack of proper maintenance and care had led to widespread criticism. A meeting chaired by MLA CH Kunjambu discussed the development of the hospital. It was decided to give the critical care containers to the government departments that need them.

The cost of transporting the containers should be borne by the respective departments. A total of 128 containers have been used for the Covid hospital in 3 blocks. If the containers are left after the government demand, it will be tendered to private individuals.

The deplorable condition was caused by the hospital lying idle after the number of patients started decreasing during the covid epidemic. Although built by Tata, the state government was responsible for maintenance. It was informed that after covid the hospital can be used for other diseases. The government had also spent about 12 crore rupees on roads and electricity.