Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat virtually inaugurates a DRDO-built 500-bed COVID Care Hospital in Haldwani

The 500-bed Covid Care Hospital built by DRDO in Haldwani, Uttarakhand.

As India ramps up its infrastructure to battle the second wave of COVID-19 and for a possible third wave of the pandemic, yet another hospital executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was virtually inaugurated by Tirath Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, in Haldwani, on June 2.

The 500-bed COVID Care Hospital has 375 oxygenated beds and 125 ICU beds with ventilators. The hospital has 100 per cent power backup and it is centrally air conditioned. It is equipped with a pathology laboratory, pharmacy, X-ray and ECG facilities.

Built in 21 days, the hospital is also equipped with modern hospital management system software, a control centre with wi-fi, CCTVs and a helpline number. Doctors and nursing staff to run the facility will be provided by the Government Medical College, Haldwani. Ample measures have been taken in the design and functioning of the hospital to meet any unforeseen challenges in the future. Mandatory fire safety norms have been ensured with a fire detection alarm system, fire hydrants and fire-fighting equipment.

Over the past few weeks, the office of the Chief Executive (Directorate of Civil Works & Estates), DRDO, has played the role of a project executing body, supervising and managing the construction of several such hospitals, issuing contracts to private firms and procuring essential equipment and consumables such as PPE kits, masks, and so on. State governments are also assisting the DRDO with necessary infrastructure aid such as electricity and water connections and other necessary permissions for these hospitals.

While five such hospitals—the 750-bed Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Covid Hospital in Delhi; the 900-bed Dhanvantari Hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat; the 500-bed ESI Hospital in Patna, Bihar; the 750-bed Pandit Rajan Mishra Hospital in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh; and the 500-bed Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hospital in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh—have already been established, more are planned at locations in Uttarakhand’s Rishikesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Guwahati (Assam) and Sikkim. The DRDO is also associated with establishing a 1,200-bed hospital in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which is being funded by the Tata Trusts.

Besides being manned by doctors and support staff belonging to the respective State governments, these hospitals also have over 1,300 military staff, including general physicians and specialist doctors, nursing staff and technical and support staff.