As India languishes under fresh surge of coronavirus cases amid lack of resources and facilities, a mosque in Gujarat’s Vadodara has transformed itself into a Covid-19 facility to accommodate upto 50 patients. The mosque in Jahangirpura has been converted into a 50-bed COVID facility. Mosque authorities said the shortage of Covid facility made them come up with the idea so that more people could be provided treatment if they cannot get admitted in the hospital.

Irfan Sheikh, one of the trustee of the mosque said the initiative has come during the month of Ramadan, often said to be the commemoration of Prophet Muhammad’s first revelation.

“Coronavirus cases have been rising over the last few days, leading to a dearth of oxygen and beds. Due to this shortage, we have decided to convert it into COVID-19 facility which about 50 bed. What better than the month of Ramadan to do this," Sheikh told news agency ANI. The civil hospital in Gujarat has recently seen long queues of ambulances carrying coronavirus patients lined up outside but the state government said that it the hospital was strictly following due procedure and Covid-19 protocols before admitting anyone in the hospital. Media reports have pointed out over the past week at the lack of beds and facilities in the hospitals.

The civil hospital campus in Asarva area of the city has a dedicated 1,200-bed hospital for COVID-19 patients. The western state registered 11,403 fresh coronavirus cases on Monday, the highest single-day rise in numbers so far. There were 117 deaths related to virus infection.