A 1,500-bed COVID-19 hospital has been set up by the Telangana government at Gachibowli, converting a sports complex into an isolation and treatment centre for COVID-19 patients. The 14-floor COVID-19 hospital will eventually become the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (TIMS).
The state government has already allocated the required manpower and begun operations on Monday at the TIMS COVID-19 hospital. Two beds are allocated per each of the 36 rooms and the beds will be separated by 8 feet. If the need arises, one more bed can be added to each room, informed B Nagender, Osmania General Hospital Superintendent who has been appointed as the nodal officer for the TIMS COVID-19 hospital.
“The hospital will have 41 ICU beds. The works for oxygen supply and other essentials to run the hospital are functional. There are a few civil works left. We are operational but, there will be teething issues, we will be fully functional in a couple of days,” he added.
About 25 doctors, four specialised doctors, 70 nurses, 6 lab technicians, sanitation and security staff have been appointed so far. Two anesthesiologists from Osmania General Hospital have also been deputed. “We have in place 10 ventilators, 30 more are on the way. We are keeping the ventilators as a precaution. If any patient gets seriously ill, we can shift them to a ventilator,” said Nagender.
The state appears to have sourced most of the needed staff from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and district hospitals. When asked if the shuffle would lead to a staff shortage in the districts, the officer said, “A lot of surgeries have been postponed and Out-Patient (OP) services have been suspended. We have shifted only what is required without creating a shortage in districts.”
The conversion of the sports complex to TIMS was part of a 2017 state government decision, to set up four multi-speciality hospitals in Hyderabad. The hospital will now function as a COVID-19 hospital. “All the beds and equipment are new, the hospital is not like Osmania or Gandhi,” says the Superintendent.
Presently, no patients are admitted at this hospital.