Private Medical Colleges Asked to Set up Testing Labs by 10 September

The administration of Puducherry has directed all private medical colleges in the union territory to establish COVID-19 testing laboratories by 10 September. The District Collector-cum-Health department Secretary, T Arun, issued an order to this effect under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897 and the Disaster Management Act 2005.

According to the order, hospital management has to make sure that every hospital has at least 300 beds for coronavirus patients referred by the government.

According to the collector, this measure was vital to stabilizing the worsening coronavirus situation in Puducherry. Instructions have also been given to ensure that at least 100 out of the 300 beds are equipped with oxygen apparatus by 10 September.

Six private medical colleges have been directed to conduct at least 100 tests a day.

There are seven private medical colleges in Puducherry. The government-run-Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital and the centrally-run JIPMER are COVID hospitals.

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Two teams will be constituted to visit every household to take a census of people above the age of 60 and children below the age of them. They will be tested for the virus.

A COVID Care Centre has also been opened at the Mahatma Gandhi Government Dental Hospital. Puducherry and its adjoining regions saw 591 new cases on 4 September. The overall tally there is now 16,172.