Bengaluru, Apr 24 (IANS): Leading auto component maker Bosch turned the sports complex in its sprawling campus here into a Covid care centre, an official said on Friday.

"We have converted the indoor sports complex at our Adugodi campus in the city into a Covid care centre with 70 beds and other facilities to treat patients who are asymptomatic or having mild symptoms of the virus," a company official told IANS.

The Indian arm of the German auto major entrusted the centre to the city civic body - Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) for admitting Covid patients and treating them.

"As Covid cases have been surging in the city and hospitals are filling up with patients, our centre is an effort to help the Karnataka government to take care of those unable to get a bed in its or private hospitals," said the official.

The 70-bed centre has qualified staff and medical facilities to treat and take care of Covid patients referred by the civic body.

"The centre offers round-the-clock medical care, meals, beds, and internet facility to patients referred by BBMP and family members of our employees," said the official.

Congress legislator from the city and former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy lauded the company for setting up the centre in its sports complex.

Bosch Managing Director Soumitra Bhattacharya said converting the sports complex into a Covid care centre reaffirmed the company's commitment to ensuring the health and safety of its employees and the public.

"We have also distributed about 40 lakh face masks to our frontline workers. The masks were produced at our Naganathapura plant (on the city's southern outskirts)," he added.

Bengaluru registered 16,662 fresh cases in a day, taking the city's Covid tally to 6,15,581, including 1,49,624 active cases.

Of the 190 patients who succumbed to the infection in the state during the day, 124 were in Bengaluru, while of 1,128 patients in the ICUs, 246 are in Bengaluru hospitals.