Bengaluru: India's largest Covid Care Centre to shut down from September 15

Bengaluru, 8-Sep-2020

The Covid Care Centre (CCC) at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), touted as biggest such facility for the treatment of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients in the country, will be shut down from September 15. Lack of patients is being cited as the reason for the closing down of the 10,100-bed facility. In an order dated September 4, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bengaluru civic body, said the decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and on the suggestion of Secretary of Department of Horticulture Rajender Kumar Kataria, who heads the task force that was formed to set up CCCs. The Covid Care Centre at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre had opened with much fanfare. During the coronavirus-induced lockdown, the facility housed a number of migrant labourers for some time in quarantine. Beds, mattress, dustbins, pedestal fans, water dispensers and other furniture at the CCC will be given away to government and university hostels for free. The Social Welfare Department will get 2,500 sets of furniture for the hostels run by it. The Bagalkot Horticulture University hostel, the Minority Welfare Department hostels and GKVK will receive 1,000 sets of furniture each. Rest of the furniture will be given to government hospitals and hostels on the basis of their request. The government permitted asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic COVID patients to be isolated at home, a drastic decrease in people getting admitted to the centre was witnessed. The facility was inaugurated on July 27. The Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) has hosted a number of global events in the past.