PM-CARES Fund Trust decides to allot funds for 500 bed makeshift hospitals in Bihar

New Delhi, Aug 24: The PM-CARES Fund Trust has decided to allocate funds for the fight against COVID-19 by way of establishment of 500 bed COVID-19 makeshift hospitals at Patna and Muzaffarpur, Bihar by DRDO, the Prime Minister's Office said.

This will go a long way in improving COVID care in Bihar, the PMO also said. The 500 bed hospital at Bihta, Patna will be inaugurated today and the one at Muzaffarpur will be done soon.

These hospitals have 125 ICU beds with ventilators and 375 normal beds each. Each bed also has oxygen supply. The doctors and paramedical staff will be provided by the Armed Forces Medical Services.

On March 28, the Centre set up the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the one currently posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected.

The prime minister is the ex-officio chairman of the fund and the defence, home and finance ministers are its ex-officio trustees.