Image courtesy: Minister Jayatakumar's facebook page

A newly constructed 50 bedded AYUSH Hospital at Keirao in Manipur’s Imphal East district, will be utilized as COVID Care Centre after the structure is completed and ready for use.

Informing this in a facebook post, Manipur Health & Family Welfare Minister L Jayantakumar Singh wrote, “Inspected AYUSH Hospital site at Keirao which will to be converted into a 50 bedded AYUSH COVID Care Centre at the earliest.”

Official sources available in Imphal also said Health & Family Welfare Minister Jayantakumar along with officials of AYUSH department and others on Friday inspected the present condition of the 50 bedded AYUSH hospital which is currently under construction and about to be completed in a few days.

During the visit, Jayantakumar was accompanied by Dr A Guneshwor Sharma, chief executive officer of State AYUSH Society, Geeta Devi, EE TP Cell and other officials.

Minister Jayantakumar expressed the apprehension that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue for another some more months.

The government needs to chalk out proper plans ahead of unexpected increase of COVID cases in the state. As a step to meet the present requirement of COVID care facilities, the government is planning to utilize this 50 bedded AYUSH hospital as COVID Care Centre. Concerned construction agency and contractors have also been instructed to complete structure as soon as possible, he added.

On Wednesday, a 120-bedded COVID care centre was opened at at mini secretariat complex at Tamenglong district headquarters in Manipur in presence of the deputy commissioner of Tamenglong, Armstrong Pame and SDOs Mahesh Chaudhari (Tamenglong), Paul Nangsha (Tousem), SDPO Tamenglong Josiah Pamei and others, district information office sources said.

A 100 bedded COVID care centre was opened in Thoubal district on August 11.

So far there are around 17 COVID care centres in the State.