No referrals amid shortage of ventilator beds in Chandigarh

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 3

Even as the city hospitals are increasing the number of Covid beds, a shortage of ventilator beds is what keeping Covid patients from availing the last leg of treatment.

• Also read: Mohali district hospital to get 5 ventilators soon

Deepak, whose 64-year-old mother was admitted to the Government Multi-Speciality Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, has been on the lookout for a ventilator bed since morning. While he was waiting for a referral to the GMCH-32 and the PGI, as per the protocol, he was informed by doctors to arrange a ventilator bed himself.

“I have been told that my mother has only 30-minute life and that I arrange a ventilator bed myself,” said Deepak. When asked the reasons for his patients not being transferred to other hospitals, he said no ICU bed had been vacant at other hospitals. His mother died today.

Yashika, granddaughter of a 74-year-old patient at the GMSH-16, died this morning in the absence of a vacant ICU bed. “We kept asking the doctors to shift her to an ICU bed in other hospitals. Her oxygen had dropped to 50 yesterday. We were told that there were no beds in other hospitals and there was nothing that could have been done to save our patient.”

The Administrator had directed that the bed capacity in medical institutions should be enhanced to accommodate the increasing number of Covid patients.

Considering a shortage of beds, it has been discussed to review the patients to see the possibility of shifting some of them from the ICU to oxygen beds and from oxygen beds to Sood Dharmshala/Dhanwantry college.

Dr Palta and Dr Dcruze said this was a dynamic process and that they were doing the same as per the set protocol.

Dr Amandeep Kang, Director Health Services, said they had 200 beds and with the addition of 48 more beds, the capacity will increase to 248.

A 50-bed Covid care centre is coming up at Bal Bhawan, Sector 23, and a similar centre is also being set up at Indira Holiday Home, Sector 24. Besides, a 100-bed hospital at International Students’ Hostel of Panjab University will become functional by Wednesday.

Hospitals try to increase ICU beds

Dr Jasbinder Kaur, Director-Principal, said there were 155 beds in the GMCH-32 which included 32 ICU beds. The hospital is working to convert 22 beds into ICU beds. There will be 198 beds, including 52 ICU beds, at the GMCH. At present, there are a total of 100 beds at the Sector 48 hospital. The hospital is trying to have 21 more beds to increase the capacity to 121 beds, including 17 ICU ones.