Mysore/Mysuru: The District Administration is seriously considering closing down of ‘COVID Mitra’ Centres in a phased manner due to steady decline in Corona positive cases in the district.

When the Corona positive cases hit peak a two months ago, the then Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rohini Sindhuri and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Shilpa Nag came out with the novel idea of starting the ‘COVID Mitra’ Centres to check the spreading of pandemic.

Accordingly, the Centres were opened at Panchakarma Hi-Tech Ayurveda College, District COVID Hospital, Dattagalli, Vijayanagar 2nd and 3rd Stage, Beedi Workers’ Hospital, Farooqia College, SMT Hospital and at 21 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the district.

In each Centre, each shift was managed by a doctor, nurse and four volunteers. They were receiving calls from patents and counselling them. This helped in the early detection, treatment of patients and brought down Case Positivity Rate (CPR). The number of patients coming to ‘COVID Mitra’ Centres has reduced considerably.

In the wake of this, the District Administration wants to close down the Centres one by one. Already, two Centres, Vijayanagar 2nd Stage and Dattagalli, have closed down. Some more will follow the suit in the coming days. 

The staff working in those Centres will be deputed to COVID Hospital. The beds in most of the Hospitals are empty due to decline in Corona positive cases across the District, sources told Star of Mysore.