Bengaluru, Jul 21 (IANS): To meet the growing need for hospitalisation of coronavirus patients amid rising cases, a 50-bed dedicated Covid hospital-cum-emergency training centre has been opened in the city's northwest suburb, an official said on Tuesday.

"As Covid cases are peaking in the city, there is a dire need to increase hospital beds for treating positive cases on priority," said Karnataka Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar after unveiling Prakriya super-specialty hospital.

The private hospital also has a 40-room Covid care centre to quarantine asymptomatic patients

"The hospital also has facility for deliveries of pregnant Covid-infected women, dialysis for the infected, and an operation theatre for emergency surgeries of virus- affected patients," said its chief executive Srinivas Chirukuri in a statement.

While the main hospital wing will continue to treat non-Covid patients, its new wing is dedicated to Covid patients, whose numbers have been spiking after the state government began to unlock the city from June 1.

"We have ensured protection to our doctors, nurses and support staff with personal protection equipment (PPE) and training, as it has become a challenge to get them and make them work in a Covid hospital," added Chirukuri.

Of the 3,648 new cases registered across the state on Monday, Bengaluru accounted for 1,452, taking its Covid tally to 33,229, including 24,574 active cases. As many as 6,956 patients have been discharged so far, including 163 in the last 24 hours. A total of 698 persons have died of the infection since March 9, with 31 during the day.