A portion of a star hotel in central Calcutta has been converted into a satellite facility for Covid patients without symptoms or with mild symptoms.

The 195-bed satellite centre at The Lalit Great Eastern, which opened on Wednesday afternoon, has been set up and will be run by the AMRI Hospitals.

The centre has a remote monitoring system, which allows doctors and nurses to check the vitals of patients such as the oxygen saturation level and pulse from the nursing station. A mat called Dozee Pro, placed between the bed and the mattress, is connected to a sensor that helps record the vitals of a patient.

“No other satellite unit in the city has this facility,” said an AMRI official.

Four doctors and 10 nurses will remain stationed at the hotel around the clock. If required, specialists will be consulted, the official said.

“We have started with 195 beds. By Wednesday evening, 75 beds had been booked. If there is demand, we can add more beds and take the count up to 250,” said Rupak Barua, the group CEO of AMRI Hospitals.

Another official of the hospital chain said the satellite centre was under the supervision of the Dhakuria unit of the group, which now runs five satellite facilities. The other four together have around 150 beds.

At Great Eastern, there are single-occupancy and double-occupancy rooms. “While a single-occupancy room costs Rs 10,000 a day, the double-occupancy costs each person Rs 6,000 a day. The cost is all inclusive,” said an official of AMRI.

Patients who want to book a bed at The Lalit Great Eastern have to call AMRI first. They will be asked to visit the emergency department of the Dhakuria hospital, where their vitals will be checked before they are shifted to the hotel.

“Our doctors will check the patient to be sure that she/he does not need a hospital bed. Only those who are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms will be alloted beds at the hotel,” the official said.

Barua said AMRI was continuously recruiting nurses and doctors to manage the satellite facilities. “We are hiring many intern nurses, who are working under the supervision of senior nurses of our hospitals,” Barua said.

AMRI has also set up a 250-bed field hospital at the Salt Lake stadium for patients whose condition is a little more serious than the ones at the satellite centres.

The Lalit Great Eastern, which was earlier known as Great Eastern Hotel. was set up in the 1840s. “There are two wings in our hotel. We have given one wing to AMRI to set up the satellite facility. The two wings have separate entry and exit. The other wing is still open for guests, though there is very little movement now. The restaurant is closed, as ordered by the government,” said Dilip Mishra, the general manager of The Lalit Great Eastern.