This story is from October 23, 2020

Chamarajanagar DC sets up library at Covid care centre

Chamarajanagar DC sets up library at Covid care centre
For bookworms: Library at the Santemarahalli Covid hospital
Mysuru: In a bid to provide Covid-19 patients undergoing treatment at one of the district’s healthcare institutions a better way of spending their time rather than spending entire days hooked to smartphones, officials of the Chamarajanagar administration opened a library at the Santemarahalli Covid hospital. The library boasts a collection of 700 books, and was started with the idea of cultivating among the patients housed at the hospital.

The encouraging response to the library at the Santemarahalli hospital inspired the district administration to set up a second such library at yet another Covid Care Centre that is operating out of an engineering college on the outskirts of Chamarajanagar town.
The Santemarahalli hospital can house up to 80 patients, including 10 in its intensive care unit (ICU). Of the remaining 70 beds, oxygen is supplied to 60. The hospital was turned into a CCC to treat patients from Kollegal and Hanur taluks exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms of the infection. The library at the hospital was opened a week ago.
Chamarajanagar deputy commissioner MR Ravi said that, on a recent visit to the Santemarahalli hospital, he had been distressed to see the amount of time most patients spent glued to the screen of their smartphones. “Very few patients were reading newspapers. So, I decided to set up a library to instil the habit of reading among the patients. Officials of the health department, along with those from the department of public works helped set up the library without delay. There are biographies, novels and other works housed in the library,” said Ravi.
The library proposed at the CCC at the Chamarajanagar Engineering College, set up exclusively to treat asymptomatic patients, too will have 700 books, the DC said. “Many of the patients who we admitted were found to behave rudely. Reading will help them stay calm and keep emotions in check,” said the Chamarajanagar DC.
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