With the healthcare system coming under pressure as the country battles the second wave, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and some builders are pitching in by setting up Covid care centres in collaboration with health professionals. In fact, some malls have also collaborated with local authorities for vaccination drives.
Such facilities are being equipped with oxygen cylinders and concentrators to help Covid patients with mild symptoms.
Real estate developer M3M Grouphas collaborated with Indian Air Force to set up a 150-bed Covid Care Centre at Gurugram to provide food and medical facilities, including oxygen, at one of its apartment complexes.
Guidelines issued
Local authorities in cities such as Noida, Gurugram and New Delhi have also come out with guidelines for RWAs and Apartment Owner Associations (AOAs) to set up isolation centres or care facilities equipped with concentrators and oxygen cylinders for patients with mild symptoms.
JB Gupta, Secretary of RWA of Sahara Grace Condominium, in Gurugram, said the 5-bed Covid-care facility in the community centre at the complex, has given a lot of confidence to residents as they have some access to medical care during these challenging times.
“Noble residents such as Vishal Singh, who donated funds and others like Dr Nagraj, who guided the RWA, came together to set up this facility. Residents pooled in with concentrators and donated small oxygen cylinders. We also put to use the oxygen cylinder used for the swimming pool, bought bedding, medical supplies and the facility is manned by nursing staff and monitored by resident doctors,” he said.
AOAs and RWAs are also helping with oxygen cylinder refilling for patients under home care and ensuring that essential items get delivered to senior citizens and those in quarantine.
“We have arranged for two oxygen cylinders of 50 kg each and their refill, along with four oxygen generators of 28 litres each. We get oxygen delivered in the golf carts to those who require. Over and above, we have also created a space for ambulances to park within the premises. We have a dedicated team for sanitisation and Covid garbage collection,” Amit Modi, Director, ABA Corp, which owns Cleo County, a residential complex in Noida.
Testing camps
Several RWAs have also collaborated with local authorities to organise testing camps and vaccination drives for senior citizens.
Meanwhile, some malls in Mumbai have collaborated with local authorities to offer their premises for vaccinations.
Rajneesh Mahajan, CEO, Inorbit Malls, said: “We successfully conducted the first ‘drive through’ initiative by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation at our parking lot in a safe and hygienic manner.We see possibilities of ramping up the number of people that can be inoculated and would work closely with local authorities in executing such exercise.”
Sachin Dhanawade, COO-Retail & Real-Estate, Grauer & Weil India Ltd, said the ‘drive-in’ vaccination centre at Growel’s 101 mall will facilitate 250 senior citizens per day to get their vaccination in the comforts of their vehicles, in collaboration with the local authorities.