Bengaluru,  Concerned over Karnataka's Covid positivity rate, which has increased to 22 per cent during the second Covid wave, Union Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to convert all military hospitals including command hospitals in Karnataka into Covid care centres.

Posting his letter written to Rajnath Singh on Twitter on Thursday, Joshi said: "Have requested Raksha Mantri Shri @RajnathSingh ji to convert all armed forces hospitals in Karnataka into Covid care centres along with DRDO and other military agencies for urgently starting makeshift hospitals in the State."

In the next tweet, the minister said that this will help in meeting the urgent medical requirements for Covid patients in Karnataka.

The Minister also requested all the military agencies like the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to come forward to set up makeshift Covid care centres.

In his letter dated April 20, Joshi apprised the Defence Minister that Karnataka is registering more than 35,000 cases daily which includes Bengaluru reporting more than 20,000 cases while the active number of cases in the state stand at 2.2 lakh.

"The situation is unprecedented and is further aggravated due to non availability of Intensive Care Unit (ICUs) facilities in almost all hospitals, therefore, I request you to convert all armed forces hospitals including command hospitals in Bengaluru, military hospital in Belagavi, INHS hospital in Karwar and field hospitals into Covid care centres," the minister said in his letter.