The Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had a meeting with officials and ministers over the COVID-19 situation in Bengaluru. In the meeting, the current situation of lack of beds in the city, which has been highlighted by the media, was discussed.
The Hindu reported that the Chief Minister expressed displeasure that the software to track the beds in the city was yet to be set up. According to the report, the Chief Minister was upset at the BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar for no progress on the software despite speaking about it over a week ago. Yediyurappa directed that the system be set up within 2 days.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also questioned the money which the BBMP is spending on taking bed rentals at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre on Tumkur road. Last week in Bengaluru, a 10,100 bed facility was set up on the outskirts of the city for the management of mild and symptomatic patients of coronavirus in Bengaluru.
A report in the Times of India said that the Chief Minister was also angry that the city civic body was taking thousands of beds for a daily rental of Rs 800. This would add up to a total of Rs 11,200 for a stay of 14 days per patient as they recover, the report said, as against the actual cost for the bed being Rs 7000. The government plans to set up 30,000 beds at COVID Care Centres in Bengaluru by end of July.
The Bengaluru urban and rural districts have been declared as being under lockdown for a week starting Wednesday, June 14 night to curb the rising number of COVID-19 cases.