On Tuesday afternoon, June 3, Dindigul Medical College Hospital inaugurated a dedicated 30-bed COVID ward, as reported by The New Indian Express. The facility includes ventilator support and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to manage critical patients.

A Health Department official stated, “Following the Director of Medical Education Chennai’s directive, we allocated a large hall at DMCH in Dindigul city to admit suspected COVID cases. About 30 beds are ready with a team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics assigned for care. The ward is fully isolated within the hospital premises for safety.”

Meanwhile, in Kerala, the Government Medical College’s Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) Virology Laboratory—intended to handle dangerous viruses like Nipah—remains unfinished after five years.

Started in 2019 with Rs 5.5 crore funding from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the lab was seen as a vital advancement for Kerala’s virus testing and outbreak control, but progress has stalled, according to The New Indian Express.