Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Monday inspected the COVID-19 care centre at Indoor Hall of Bal Bhawan in Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal for reopening it as part of the state’s preparedness to tackle the second wave of coronavirus pandemic.

According to Singh, the COVID-19 care centre, which started functioning in October last year and closed down in December, will be exclusively for women patients. The centre has a capacity of 250 beds, he added.

However, another centre for male patients will be developed at the Youth Hostel at Khuman Lampak, he added.

Singh also visited the medical oxygen plants at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and Jawaharlal Nehru of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) to take stock of the situation.

The oxygen plant at RIMS, according to Singh, has already started functioning and has been supplying essential medical oxygen to wards and the COVID-19 unit in the hospital.

The PSA oxygen manufacturing plant being constructed at JNIMS with a capacity to produce oxygen for 50 D-type cylinders per day with pipeline supply to the hospital wards will start functioning from April 28, later he added.