Heavy rush at Kullu hospital, patients being treated in corridors

Kullu, July 2

Catering to patients from three districts of Kullu, Mandi and Lahaul-Spiti, the Regional Hospital at Kullu is struggling to accommodate all of them at its 300-bed facility.

The number of patients coming to the hospital has increased significantly. All the beds in the medical ward are generally occupied, forcing patients to put extra beds in corridors or seek treatment on stretchers.

‘More beds soon’

There are a total of 60 beds in the medical ward, but around 30 patients are coming to the hospital every day. Doctors are also doing extra work and some fever patients are shifted to the Covid ward whenever it is vacant. Soon, more beds will be added to the hospital. Dr Naresh, Medical Superintendent

The number of patients suffering from typhoid and viral fever has also increased due to the changing weather. As a result, more patients are undergoing treatment in the medical ward than its capacity.

Besides its original capacity of 50 beds, the hospital management had installed 10 extra beds in the ward. Yet, it has not been enough to accommodate all the admitted patients and there are at least 10 beds in the gallery outside the medical ward.

A 100-bed Maternal and Child Health (MCH) section of the Regional Hospital was inaugurated in June last year. Though the government is yet to notify staff for the MCH section, it is already filled with patients. Besides, there are 200 beds in the Covid ward having oxygen facility, which are also being used to accommodate non-Covid patients when it is vacant.

Residents have demanded that the hospital management should make additional arrangements, including more beds and notifying new posts for the MCH section.

Tara Devi, a patient from Pechha village, said that she had to place a bed in the gallery due to lack of space inside the ward. “I was advised to take oxygen support, but the staff nurses told me that it could not be arranged in the gallery,” she added.

Bhup Singh, an attendant of a patient from Bali Chowki, said that despite the lack of indoor beds, the doctors were providing excellent treatment. He added that his patient had been undergoing treatment in the gallery for the past one week.

Dr Naresh, Medical Superintendent, Kullu Regional Hospital, said that patients admitted to the medical ward had increased due to increasing number of viral fever and typhoid cases in the recent days.

The Medical Superintendent added, “There are a total of 60 beds in the medical ward, but around 30 patients are coming to the hospital every day. Doctors are also doing extra work and some fever patients are shifted to the Covid ward whenever it is vacant. Soon, more beds will be added to the hospital.”