Over 3,000 beds reserved in Bengaluru hospitals to treat coronavirus patients
Bengaluru: Amid the rising COVID-19 cases here, over 3,000 beds in private hospitals have been reserved for treating patients while a 10,100-bed coronavirus care centre, the biggest in the country, has been set up, authorities said on Sunday.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said 3,331 beds in 72 private hospitals have been earmarked for COVID-19 patients. The city civic body - Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner B H Anil Kumar said the sprawling Bangalore International Exhibition Centre has been converted into a coronavirus care centre with 10,100 beds.
"Across Bengaluru, 3,331 beds have been reserved in 72 hospitals for treating coronavirus patients. By Saturday evening 733 beds were occupied and 2,598 beds were unoccupied," the Medical Education Minister tweeted. Recently, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had convened a meeting with private hospital owners during which he directed them to reserve at least 50 per cent beds to treat coronavirus cases.
The government had set a target to reserve at least 2,000 beds for coronavirus patients. However, the number has swelled to 3,331.
Meanwhile, BBMP Commissioner Anil Kumar on Sunday visited the coronavirus care centre at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre along with Yelahanka BJP MLA S R Vishwanath. "BIEC has been converted into a 10,100-bed COVID Care Centre. Visited the centre along with Hon'ble MLA @SRVishwanathBJP, @BBMPSWMJtComm & other #BBMP officials," Kumar tweeted. He also said the centre is well ventilated, has an adequate number of toilets, nursing stations, kitchens and other required facilities. The centre is ready to house asymptomatic patients, including children.
The BBMP Joint Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), Sarfaraz Khan told P T I, "This is the biggest ever COVID care centre in the country. Delhi has a COVID care centre of 10,000 beds in Radha Soami Satsang." As many as 150 doctors will man the centre. Oxygen facilities will be available in some beds for patients who need it, he said. In addition, there will be adequate arrangements to shift the critically-ill patients to nearby hospitals, Khan added.
Bengaluru has seen the biggest ever spike in coronavirus cases in the past one week. The city has witnessed 8,345 positive cases, of which 7,250 are active cases. The city has so far reported 129 deaths due to the virus.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
