Reliance foundation, Nita Ambani come forward to provide 1000 beds for free in Jamnagar

In a key development, Reliance Industries Limited on Wednesday announced that it will set up a 1,000 bed COVID Hospital with oxygen facilities in Jamnagar, which besides the region, will cater to the needs of Khambhalia, Dwarka, Porbandar and other regions of Saurashtra in Gujarat free of cost. 400 beds will be up and running at Government Dental College in Jamnagar in a week while the other 600 beds will be made operational at another location in the region within the next two weeks' time. 

Confirming the same, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani said, "  "As India fights the second wave of COVID, we are committed to helping in every way we can. Additional healthcare facilities are one of the most critical needs of the hour. Reliance Foundation is setting up a 1000-bedded hospital with Oxygen for COVID patients in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The first phase of 400 beds will be ready within a week, and the other 600 beds in another week. The hospital will provide quality care free of cost." She further added, "Reliance Foundation has been standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with our fellow Indians since the beginning of this outbreak. We will continue to work tirelessly to save precious lives. Together we can, and we will win this fight."

The Office of the Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijaybhai Rupani also shared the news on Twitter. " In a prompt response to the appeal, Reliance Industries Ltd announces to set up a 1000-bed Covid Hospital in Jamnagar oxygen supply facility, of which 400-bed will be made operational by Sunday, to benefit people of Jamnagar, Dwarka, Porbandar districts," the tweet read. 

Reliance group helps with Oxygen production

Earlier, the group had come to the rescue by putting a stop at manufacturing at its Jamnagar oil refineries to produce 700 tonnes of medical-grade oxygen a day, which is being supplied to States like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, and providing relief to over 7,00,000 patients every day. It is pertinent to mention here that initially, the refineries were producing 100 tonnes of medical oxygen a day, which was stepped up to 700 tonnes. 

COVID tally in India 

The step has been taken keeping in mind the steep rise in COVID-19 cases in India. Since April 15, India has been witnessing a steep rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. On April 4, the country recorded over 1 lakh cases, which doubled in a span of ten days and has been seeing a rise ever since, with now for the fifth consecutive day, over 3-lakh cases have been reported. 

In these few days, the contribution of the country to the world figure has risen from 9 percent to 35 percent, which is the highest ever figure by any country. Keeping this in mind, many countries have either closed their borders or cancelled flights from India. The countries include Bangladesh, Germany, Iran, United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

In the last 24 hours, India's clocked 3,60,960 fresh COVID-19 cases and 3,292 fatalities, taking the cumulative caseload to 1,79,97,267 cases and the death toll to 2,01,187. The active cases in India stand at 29,78,709. 

(Credit-PTI)