Bengaluru: When India’s first coronavirus-related death was reported from Kalaburagi, the sprawling but sleepy ESIC hospital in one of the most backward districts in north Karnataka came to life.
Of the 500 beds in the hospital on the Afzalpur Road, 200 have been set aside for covid-19 patients. With large numbers of migrant workers returning to their hometowns as earnings dry up in cities during the lockdown, the number of coronavirus cases in remote areas is also rising.
Till 4 April, 211 of India’s 720 districts reported cases, and the big challenge staring at all state governments is ramping up district hospitals and designating them as covid-19 centres. “The challenges are the same in any district hospital anywhere in this country,"