Delhi, Rajasthan patients head to Faridkot hospital

Faridkot, April 25

Amid a severe shortage of ICU beds, medical oxygen and ventilators, Covid-19 patients from Delhi and Rajasthan are rushing to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, a tertiary care and hospitalisation centre, for treatment. As a result, many doctors from civil hospitals in the area are being shifted to the medical college to meet the increasing rush of patients.

Low cylinder demand

The plant is playing a major role in meeting the oxygen demand at the hospital. It has reduced the requirement of cylinders from outside. — Prof Raj Bahadur, VC, BFUHS

Rajiv Sharma, Principal, said while some doctors from civil hospitals had already joined duty, more would arrive soon. With 448 beds for Covid-19 patients and 82 ventilators, the medical college currently has over 200 Covid patients. For treatment and care of these patients, other than postgraduate medical students, the hospital is utilising the services of MBBS interns.

The medical college has adequate supply of oxygen. To combat the ongoing crisis, an oxygen plant with production capacity of 1,000 litres per minute was commissioned at the hospital on April 1. The plant meets about 60 per cent of the total oxygen demand.

Prof Raj Bahadur, vice chancellor, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), said the plant was providing round-the-clock oxygen supply and playing a major role in meeting the oxygen demand in the hospital. It had reduced the number of oxygen cylinders required from outside, he said.

The plant was established with the help of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and state government. It generates oxygen from air and delivers it to patients through the gas pipeline system.

Further, the microbiology department at the medical college is testing about 9,000 Covid samples every day.

The BFUHS has already decided to take online classes of MBBS students.