COVID CAUSE

IIT, KGP allots two floors of its super specialty hospital to state govt for quarantining inter-state travellers

“The upcoming hospital is rightly being used to serve its cause towards the healthcare of the people even before its launch. We received a request from the office of the District Magistrate about three weeks back and immediately communicated our agreement towards it. We are in contact with district administration and the local community and ready to offer necessary help within our capacity,” said Prof. Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director of IIT, KGP.

Biswabrata Goswami

MIDNAPORE, 5 MAY: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur has allotted two floors of the upcoming super specialty hospital to the district administration for quarantining people who have been travelling from other states to West Bengal on medical grounds.

Dr B C Roy Institute of Medical Science and Research, the super specialty hospital of IIT, Kharagpur, has been busy for the past few weeks and the facility which was already used for accommodating and testing 300 people, shall be used for further batches of people coming in for reasons as considered acceptable to the state administration, said Dr Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director of the premier institution.

Prof. Tewari, who has been busy reaching out to campus residents and students in small groups said, 

“The upcoming hospital is rightly being used to serve its cause towards the healthcare of the people even before its launch. We received a request from the office of the District Magistrate about three weeks back and immediately communicated our agreement towards it. We are in contact with district administration and the local community and ready to offer necessary help within our capacity.”

About a month back, with the announcement of the lockdown, a large influx of people moved to the borders of Bengal from various southern states with medical documents. They were patients and their families returning from Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vellore after undergoing treatment or health check-ups.

As per hygiene and safety protocols they were scheduled to be tested for COVID. But testing about 300 people would have taken extensive facilitation for the local state administration. Here is where IIT Kharagpur came to the rescue. About 9200 sq.m. area spread over two floors of the super specialty hospital was made available to the district administration of West Midnapore to be used as a quarantine facility for these passersby.

According to an IIT spokesperson, the phase I of the IIT Kharagpur super specialty hospital was scheduled to start its outpatient department in June-July. Following this, the phase with 400 beds was planned to be extended with the launch of inpatient specialties encompassing Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, Medical & Surgical Gastroenterology, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Urology and Nephrology. The phase II was scheduled at a later stage with an additional 350 beds and Comprehensive Cancer Care, Radiology etc.

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Vaibhav Chaudhary, IAS, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Kharagpur said, “We had about 300 people coming in after the lockdown was implemented and they were stuck at the border as they could not travel further into the state without being tested for COVID. While we could test 50 samples in a day, we needed a facility to accommodate the others. The hospital facility was well suited for the purpose with the huge available area, built-in structure, adequate toilets, electricity. Even the elevators were put into operation.”

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He further remarked, “the location of the hospital was a vantage point as it is away from inhabited rural areas due to which we could avoid any speculation among the local community regarding accommodating these people.” 

Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force on Sunday (May 3, 2020) held fly-past and showered flowers at the Institute’s medical facility to salute the corona warriors.

The Institute apart from delving in R&D to fight COVID-19 is also engaging in social outreach to help large sections of people. Last month IIT Kharagpur also launched an initiative to support about 10000 people around the campus who are dependent on the campus for their livelihood through various temporary jobs.

The alumni of the Institute are donating funds generously to sustain these people who are affected by the COVID-19 lockdown for a few months through supply of food and essential items and PPEs. The Institute has also contributed Rs. 1 crore to the PM Cares fund raised from employees and other sources.

A disinfection tunnel for inbound vehicles and good carriers has also been built coupled with WHO approved sanitization facilities such as hand wash, appropriate use of PPEs.

Courtesy: Images from IIT timeline.