Critical Covid-positive patients from Delhi, Haryana, UP rush to Jalandhar

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 5

With ample healthcare facilities lacking back home, a large number of Covid patients from various states, including Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and even Bihar, have been rushing to Jalandhar for treatment.

As many as 307 patients in various hospitals in the district are from outside Punjab, a count that stood at 193 on Sunday, according to data received from the district administration.

Over the past three days, 114 more patients reached Jalandhar. This is despite the Punjab Government making a Covid-negative report or a vaccination certificate mandatory for entering the state. Of the total 1,052 Covid patients admitted to 62 private hospitals, 561 are from outside the district.

Balwinder Singh from Panipat, who has brought his mother here, said, “No oxygen beds are available in Delhi-NCR or Haryana. I was fortunate to find one in Jalandhar.”

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said he was aware patients from faraway places were seeking treatment in Jalandhar. “We can’t turn away any critical patient. It will be inhuman to ask anyone on life support to furnish any certificate,” said Thori.

About oxygen availability, he said they were getting 7 to 10 MT (700 to 1,000 cylinders) of the life-saving gas daily. “We have asked to raise the quota to 12 to 14 MT as the demand is increasing. About 80 per cent of our L2 beds are occupied. We are making arrangements to deal with the emerging situation,” he added.

Dr BS Johal from a private hospital said they were receiving 40 to 60 distress calls daily from outside Punjab. “Though Jalandhar has long been known as a hub of medical tourism, the caseload from other states has increased manifold during the pandemic,” he said.

Dr Harnoor Singh Pruthi from another private facility said most of his patients were from Delhi. He, however, wondered where would Punjab patients head in case the state faced a Delhi-like crisis.

62 covid care facilities

• 307 patients in 62 private hospitals in district are from outside Punjab
• 114 reached Jalandhar over the past three days alone
• Of 1,052 total Covid patients, 561 are from outside the district