The facility is said to have 10,000 beds and what’s interesting is that it’ll have corrugated cardboard beds that need not be sanitised and are recyclable as well. 

Vikram Dhavan, director of Dhavan Box Sheet Containers Pvt Ltd, that is making and supplying the beds commented that: 

These beds need not be sanitised as the virus does not remain stable on cardboard for more than 24 hours; on metal, plastic and wood the virus can stay for up to five days. These beds are also really light, easy to assemble and dismantle. Supplying these beds for the facility is a matter of pride for us. 

The 12,50,000 square feet Chhatarpur centre is as large as 22 football fields as per reports. The place has preinstalled fans and CCTV cameras. Before the pandemic, 3 lakh people would attend sermons, rendering it to be an ideal choice for a temporary COVID care facility.  

Vikas Sethi who is the secretary of Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Bhati Mines, stated: 

The facility was being used to shelter migrant workers until recently. Its community kitchens are semi-industrial and can feed thousands of people at a time.

BM Mishra, South Delhi district magistrate, who is looking after the work, claimed that the facility is being set up following COVID and healthcare guidelines of the central government. It will work like 20 mini hospitals with 500 beds each. 

Each 500-bed hospital will have 5-10 enclosures of 50-100 beds. Ten per cent of the beds will have oxygen supply. However, it will not have ventilators. We have made arrangements for referral with super specialty hospitals for critical patients

-BM Mishra

He also added that the Chhatarpur facility will have ambulances and its own pathology laboratory for testing while 400 doctors will work in two shifts, supported by double the number of paramedics. 

To further ensure that the management is running smoothly, they are trying to install computers and are even getting help from the military, paramilitary, and philanthropists. They will try to implement the best e-management systems followed in hospitals. 

The military and paramilitary will help with operations, maintenance, logistics, medical equipment and manpower – sanitation workers, pathologists, technicians, pharmacists. 

As per BM Mishra, they are looking for this mammoth task to be completed by June 30.   According to the Delhi government’s estimates, the number of COVID-19 cases will breach the 5 lakh-mark by July end. 

With the city heading towards a spike in cases, this will pave a smoother way to handle the crisis.