Tata Steel is exploring possibilities of taking over Kantilal Gandhi Memorial Hospital, hitherto managed by Medica, and operating it as a Covid hospital in the wake of the rapid spread of the coronavirus in Jamshedpur and its surroundings.

"Calcutta-based Medica hospital management has wound up operations in Jamshedpur and now Tata Steel is planning to take over the hospital in South Park, Bistupur,” said a senior official of Tata Steel's corporate communications.

He said the nitty-gritty over setting up a Covid hospital in consultation with Kantilal Gandhi Memorial Trust is on. The official said it would most likely be turned into a 100-bed facility for treatment of Covid patients.

Tata Main Hospital general manager Rajan Chaudhury had hinted at a recent media briefing that the company was interested in taking over the hospital after Medica decided to give it up.

With Outer Circle Road on one side and Kharkai Link Road on the other, Kantilal Gandhi Memorial Hospital had been set up in 2014, offering treatment by teams of specialists in various disciplines. Though the heal hub had gained popularity within a short time, its occupancy was hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. Finally, the hospital stopped operations from August 13.

Medica spokesperson Anand Srivastava said even though they had decided to stop operating the hospital from September 13, they had to wind up on August 13. “Our nursing staff and those from the hospital administration have been accommodated at other Medica facilities in Calcutta and Ranchi," he said.

A canteen that was set up when Medica took over operations at the hospital has, however, not been wound up. "I did not wind up the canteen as I was sure that after Medica's exit, Tata Steel would come into the picture. Once the hospital gets a Tata tag, our canteen will flourish again,” said the canteen operator.