Big surge — 81% Covid beds in tricity occupied

Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 19

As Covid-19 cases are spiralling in the tricity, beds reserved for such patients at both private and government facilities are getting exhausted rapidly. Eight-one per cent of the 1,686 Covid beds in the tricity region, dedicated to moderate to severely ill patients, are already full.

With more than 6,000 active cases, Mohali district is worst affected in the region as 88 per cent of the Covid beds in the district are full. In Chandigarh, 72 per cent of beds are full.

Although the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGI) was made a Covid-dedicated hospital for Chandigarh at the start of the pandemic, the hospital shares the burden of Covid patients from other states as well. Around 100 patients from Punjab are admitted to the Covid hospital at the PGI. Around 80 per cent capacity of Covid beds is full at the institute and 77 per cent ICU beds (with ventilators) are also occupied.

The medical institute increased 30 Covid beds as per the directions of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. PGI Director Jagat Ram said, “The hospital is catering to 1,800 non-Covid patients admitted to the hospital, including 360 in the Emergency complex. We have already reduced non-Covid services due to increase in the Covid caseload. Our Covid beds are full. We may have to compromise on non-Covid services for expanding the Covid services. The situation in hospitals is very serious but we are doing the best we can.”

The overall occupancy of Covid beds at the hospitals in Panchkula district has reached 84 per cent.

Panchkula Chief Medical Officer Dr Jasjeet Kaur said, “Health services are under pressure for Covid patients, especially severely ill patients who require ICU facilities. Panchkula has four Covid hospitals, including three in private sector.”

Availability of ventilators/ Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) machines is already a challenge. Efforts are on to provide more BiPAP machines at the Civil Hospital in Sector 6. Reservation of more beds in private sector for Covid patients is on the cards. Another block in the Civil Hospital will be made available, if necessary, by shifting some services to the polyclinic in Sector 26,” said Dr Jasjeet Kaur.

(with inputs from Sanjay Bumbroo and Amit Bathla)

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