Government converts closed garment factories to COVID treatment centres

The Government has decided to convert closed garment factories to COVID treatment centres as the hospitals and treatments centres in the country are running out of capacity due to the third COVID wave.

Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said a decision was taken at a discussion chaired by the Minister at the Gampaha District Secretariat on future steps to control the COVID situation to build a 2,000-bed COVID treatment centre in the Werellawatta area in Gampaha to deal with the existing COVID risk.

Accordingly, the work commenced on Monday to convert the Polytex Garments factory, which was closed down, in Werellawatta in Gampaha into a Coronavirus Disease Treatment Centre at a cost of Rs. 10 million.

Following a request made by the Governor of the Western Provincial Council Roshan Goonetilleke, the Western Provincial Council has agreed to provide Rs. 10 million for the construction work.

With the assistance of the Navy, work has been expedited to transform the factory into a treatment centre and a team of 70 navy personnel is already providing their services.

The Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa has also agreed to provide the labour of the representatives of the youth organisations to further expedite the activities of this treatment centre which is being built with the capacity to treat a large number of patients at once.

In addition, Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has agreed to set up two more centres in Katunayake and Mirigama and to hand over the currently closed factories to COVID treatment centres.

(Source: Daily FT)