Bengaluru, May 7 (IANS): Leading mining firm Vedanta on Thursday said it would set up two 100-bed hospitals for treating Covid patients at Karnataka's Chitradurga and Hubballi.

"The field hospitals in both towns will be equipped with critical care facilities, including 20-bed intensive care units (ICUs) and 180 oxygenated beds," said the Mumbai-based company in a statement here.

The Vedanta hospitals will support the state government's efforts to contain the virus spread by working with the local communities, it said.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, who is a BJP MP member from the state, tweeted that he had urged Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal to set up a hospital at his home town Hubbali.

Vedanta iron ore firm's director Krishna Reddy said that the twin hospitals were in line with the company's philosophy of care and giving back to the community in such pandemic times.

"We have planned initiatives to support the fight against the virus' second wave. We have also provided masks, sanitisers and groceries to the needy," said Reddy in the statement.