Robots will serve food and give medicine to Covid-19 patients in two hospitals in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district from Tuesday, in a step to protect doctors and health workers from getting infected with coronavirus.

Developed by District Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Aditya Ranjan, the remote-controlled COBOT-Robotics will provide food and medicine to patients without human intervention, an official release said.

The 20 and 30-bed ‘high-tech isolation wards’ will be inaugurated at the ANM Skill Centre, Chaibasa Sadar Hospital and Covid-19 Railway Hospital, Chakradharpur respectively on Tuesday, it said.

“Each bed has been designed like a room where medicine and food will be provided to patients through COBOT-Robotics.

This is the first-of-its kind initiative in the country,” the release said, quoting the DDC.

A team of engineers, under the supervision of the DDC, designed and programmed COBOT-Robotics in a garage in Ranjan’s residence, the release said.

The DDC had earlier designed a booth to protect health workers collecting samples of persons suspected to be infected with coronavirus, it added.