Bagalkot: Karnataka’s Mines and Geology Minister Murgesh R. Nirani on Sunday said his non-profit foundation was supplying free oxygen to Covid patients at the taluk hospital in his Bilagi assembly segment in Bagalkot district.
“The MRN Foundation will supply free oxygen to Covid patients at Bilagi taluk hospital and provide succour to the people affected by the pandemic’s fallout,” said Nirani in a statement.
The taluk hospital has 50 oxygenated beds and three ventilators for treating severe patients in its intensive care unit (ICU).
Admitting that the exponential rise in Covid cases overwhelmed the public healthcare system in the state, he said the foundation would also supply oxygen free to patients in other hospitals across the district too.
“The foundation is using services of specialist doctors such as cardiologist Dayanand Yaligar to treat Covid patients and provide online consultancy to them to reduce the cases. Foundation’s health officer V. Shivakumar will coordinate with doctors in the district hospitals,” he said.
The foundation has also opened a 100-bed Covid Care Centre at Morarji Desai residential school in Bilagi to treat asymptomatic patients.
It is also operating free taxi and ambulance service to ferry Covid patients to the nearest designated hospital and drop those who recover from the infection at their home in the district.
The foundation has set up a 24×7 helpline to provide information on Covid treatment. It has also been distributing masks and sanitisers to frontline warriors and healthcare workers, police personnel and civic staff, added the statement.
The minister also urged people to follow the Covid guidelines and stay at home during the 14-day lockdown across the state from Monday up to May 24 morning.
