Hyderabad,  Telangana's Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday inaugurated a full-fledged 100-bed Covid care centre to deal with mild to moderate cases at Madhapur here.

The centre, called Project Ashray, is equipped with six-bedded bridge ICU facility. It was launched on May 3 as a 50-bed facility and subsequently scaled up to 100 beds.

Rama Rao appreciated the Cyberabad Police, Society for Cyberabad Security Council (SCSC), a unique collaborative body between IT industry, police and the government and the United Way of Hyderabad, an international network of local non-profit fundraising affiliates, HYSEA, Nasscom, TiE, Grace Cancer Foundation for all their efforts.

He noted that United Way of Hyderabad mobilised medical supplies worth Rs 80 crore, through the IT industry, during the first wave last year, and in the second wave, it is supporting by way of mobilising funds for 100-bed Project Ashray.

This facility, is meant for Covid patients of mild to moderate symptoms, and is free of cost.

The minister said 38 patients are currently undergoing the treatment here. The treatment, stay and food is provided free. The facility is scalable to 150 beds.

He called for collective efforts to combat Covid. "We must stand united in this battle and fight it together to win."

Ramesh Kaza of United Way of Hyderabad said that the Project Ashray is no way different from regular hospitals. The industry associations have come together to set up this facility in a record time of five days. "We must discourage patients going straight from home to ICU. The bridge ICU many not be comparable to ICUs in full fledged hospitals, but this will help our patients being shifted to the hospitals. This is the project of collective effort," he said.

Project Ashray is co-anchored by SCSC and United Way of Hyderabad. United Way of Hyderabad is the charity partner and handling funding through CSR contributions from corporates. This centre is set up in collaboration with HYSEA, Nasscom, TiE-Hyderabad, T-SIG, AMCHAM, Grace Cancer Foundation.

This Bridge ICU which is inaugurated has six ventilators - 3 invasive and 3 non-invasive. More than 160 patients have been treated successfully since its launch on May 3.

The entire treatment is free of cost for those who have Aarogya Sri or Aarogya Bhadhratha card. Others have to pay for some special medicine. It has the round the clock availability of intensivists, pulmonologists, and physicians in addition to adequate nursing staff.

More than 50 nurses, and 20 doctors are at the service of the centre. The early Covid patients who wish to utilise the facility may call on 08045811138 to seek more details and admission.