Covid: Ludhiana worst-hit, faces shortage of beds

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 2

Ludhiana has the highest Covid case load in Punjab, but there are only 76 beds in the district for level 3 patients who are in need of critical care. On Saturday, 75 beds were occupied in level 3 centres while only one was vacant. In all, 193 new cases and 9 deaths were reported on the same day and 11 patients were put on ventilator support.

According to the figures shared by the Health Department, in Punjab, for level 3 patients, there are 122 beds in Amritsar (30 occupied), 103 in Patiala (21 occupied), 96 in SAS Nagar (16 occupied), 95 in Jalandhar (38 occupied) but only 76 (75 occupied) in Ludhiana.

Hospitals have been divided into three categories: Covid care centres (level 1) for very mild, mild and suspected cases, Covid health centres (level 2) for clinically moderate-level patients and Covid hospitals (level 3) for severe and critically ill patients.

On Saturday, a total of 574 patients were admitted of which 113 were at level 1 centres, 386 at level 2 centres and 75 at level 3 hospitals. In all, 772 beds are earmarked for level 2 and 1,200 at level 1 centres.

Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Anurag Aggarwal had directed private hospitals to reserve at least 50 per cent of their ICU beds for Covid-positive patients. He also warned the representatives of private hospitals that no lapse on their part would be tolerated.

Civil Surgeon Rajesh Bagga said they had enough beds at level 1 and 2 centres and they were planning to increase level 3 facilities.

The casualities

• On July 25, a 47-year-old patient from Model Town, Ludhiana, died as no bed was available at DMCH
• On July 20, a patient had to move from one hospital to another in search of a bed but he died in the evening