Bengaluru, Jul 18 (IANS): State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) turned its convention hall on the old airport road into a Covid care centre for treating asymptomatic patients, its Chairman R. Madhavan said on Friday.

"We have converted the Ghatage convention hall into a 10-bed Covid care centre in 16 days and handed it to the city civic body for treating asymptomatic infected patients," Madhavan said in a statement here.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will arrange doctors, nurses and paramedical staff to run the centre, which has support infrastructure.

The city-based aerospace major named the convention centre after Vishnu Madav Ghatage (1908-1991), a renowned aeronautical engineer, who designed and developed India's first military aircraft HT-2.

The sprawling convention centre is located across the HAL airport where military aircraft are test flown.

"As part of our fight against the pandemic, we have contributed Rs 26.25 crore to the PM-CARES Fund," said Madhavan.

The company also produced 300 aerosol boxes for use in state-run hospitals in Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telanagana and Uttar Pradesh.

"We have also distributed personal protective equipment and masks besides sheltering migrant labour and providing them food during the lockdown," added Madhavan.

The company has identified 600 beds to be utilised as a quarantine facility in its seven locations - Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kanpur, Koraput, Korwa, Nashik and Lucknow -across the country.

Of the 3,693 new cases registered across Karnataka on Friday, 2,208 were in Bengaluru, taking its Covid tally to 27,496, including 20,623 active cases, while 582 succumbed to the infection, with 75 in the last 24 hours.