Peerless Hospital, which had suspended admissions earlier this month after many doctors and nurses had tested positive for Covid-19, is planning to resume operations from Monday with a new Covid-19 ward.

Hospital officials said they would set up a new operating theatre for patients who would test positive for the disease or show symptoms.

The 350-bed hospital off the EM Bypass had suspended admissions and some other routine services on May 5. More than 90 doctors and nurses had to be taken off duty because they tested positive for Covid-19 or had to be quarantined.

“Now, most of them are back and we have completed fumigation and sanitisation of the entire hospital. So, we will be able to resume admissions and other services on May 18,” said Sudipto Mitra, the chief executive of Peerless Hospital.

On Thursday, Charnock Hospital in New Town had reopened after being shut for about a month because nurses and doctors had contracted the novel coronavirus. The hospital had to restructure its wards and conduct sanitisation.

Peerless Hospital has set up a 37-bed Covid-19 isolation unit, which includes a seven-bed critical care unit. The hospital had a smaller isolation unit before it suspended admissions.

Given the increasing number of confirmed and suspected Covid-19 cases, the hospital has decided to expand the facility.

The ward is “negative pressurised”, which means the air pressure inside is lower than that of the surroundings. The air from the Covid-19 ward will not be able to flow out and get mixed with the air in other parts of the hospital.

“The air from the ward will be sucked out with the help of exhaust pipes and thrown out. We have spent Rs 40 lakh to set up the ward,” an official of the hospital said.

The isolation unit has dialysis facilities, too.

“Patients who have tested positive for Covid-19 at times need dialysis. This isolated dialysis unit will help reduce the risk of infection for other dialysis patients,” said Mitra.

The hospital is also planning to set up an operating theatre for confirmed or suspected Covid-19 cases.

“We have eight operating theatres but this one would be in the isolation wing,” said Mitra.