Kottayam: Expecting a likely surge in COVID-19 cases, authorities have decided to open a temporary hospital formally called the First-Line Treatment Centre.
The indoor stadium located at Nagampadam area of Kottayam town will be converted into a COVID First-Line Treatment Center (C-FLTC). It will be the first such facility within the municipal limits. It abutts the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The Kottayam Municipality and the health department have started preparations for converting the indoor stadium into a COVID care centre. A team of officials from the Municipality and the district health department visited the indoor stadium and it has prepared a report.
The local self-government body has also prepared a list of auditoriums in the city that can be converted into temporary hospitals. The directive is to set up such temporary hospitals by July 23.
According to the COVID prevention cell, the municipality needs more facilities to have at least 2,600 beds to treat patients afflicted by the coronavirus if high number of cases are reported in the coming days.
The district disaster management committee will also help the local body in setting up the temporary hospitals.
Facilities at FLTCs
The authorities have decided to set up temporary local treatment centres, like the FLTC, to ease the strain on COVID hospitals in case the community transmission of the disease is confirmed.
The temporary hospitals will have an enquiry/examination counter, a doctors’ consulting room, observation room, nursing room, pharmacy and store. There will be separate wards for men and women. The local body will provide beds and mattress.
Ambulance service will also be available 24 hours a day.
What is a first-line treatment centre?
First-line treatment centre or FLTC is a public healthcare facility that will be used when a very large number of infections are reported. This happens especially when the community transmission of the disease occurs.
The centre will admit those with mild cases as inpatients. Such treatment centres will help to avoid the strain on hopitals where serious COVID-19 cases are admitted.
A centre will have the capacity to treat at least 50 to 100 patients. It will also have a tele-medicine facility.
The district collector makes announcements regarding the opening of FLTC.
The health department will decide on the date for commencement of operations of such centres. The medical officer of the local general hospital will be in charge of such facilities.
