All level 3 beds occupied in district

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 4

A day after the capacity of beds for level 3 patients was increased from 76 to 96, all beds stood occupied today. Thickly populated Ludhiana is worst hit by the Covid pandemic with the number of positive cases increasing with each passing day. Today, 142 more tested positive and six lost their lives to the virus.

Private hospitals have been asked to reserve at least 50% of their ICU beds for Covid patients. To keep a check on the number of patients admitted and discharged from the hospitals, rural medical officers will be put on front desk duty at all private hospitals.

50 private hospitals to start Covid treatment this week

The representatives of around 50 hospitals have assured the District Administration of starting Covid 19 treatment on their premises this week. When all these private hospitals start treating Covid patients, at least 200 ICU beds and 500 non-ICU (level 2) beds would be added to the existing strength.

At present, seven private hospitals, namely Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Christian Medical College & Hospital, SPS Hospital, Fortis, Deep Hospital, GTB Hospital and Mohan Dai Oswal Cancer Hospital are also providing Covid treatment.

Deputy Commissioner Varinder Sharma said a few private hospitals had assured that they would start Covid treatment from tomorrow itself.

The Civil Surgeon has been asked to train the medical and other healthcare staff for Covid treatment in private hospitals. Besides, the doctors of these hospitals would be able to seek guidance regarding treatment from the state-level expert committee specially formed for this purpose.

Those who died of Covid today were from Habib Road, New Kartar Nagar, Durgapuri, Basti Jodhewal, Harkartar Colony and Giaspura. Five of them were above 60 years of age.

Those who tested positive today include 36 with influenza-like illness, 49 contacts of positive persons, eight policemen, 10 healthcare workers and 17 undertrials.

Vans flagged off

Meanwhile, Satwinder Bitti, Congress in charge of Sahnewal constituency, flagged off information, education and communication (IEC) vans in the Koomkalan area. She said: “I request everyone not to consider persons afflicted with Covid as a taboo.”

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