Patients having tough time finding bed in hospitals

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, July 23

The number of Covid cases is increasing in the city. The healthcare infrastructure is not enough to cope up with the new surge. Patients are finding it difficult to get beds in hospitals. Even if a patient is suffering from other diseases, it has become tough to get him/her admitted to a hospital. Patients are asked to get the Covid test done before admission to any hospital in the city.

According to data shared by the district administration there are 154 Covid patients from the Ludhiana district, who are admitted in government and 151 in private facilities.

At present, 63 patients are admitted at the Civil Hospital, five at the Subdivisional Hospital, Jagraon, 19 at Urban Community Health Centre, Vardhman and 80 at Meritorious School. In all, 167 patients are admitted to various government health facilities. These patients are from the Ludhiana and other districts/states.

In private facilities, the DMCH has 43 patients, CMCH has 46, Fortis Hospital has 25, SPS Hospital has 40, Oswal Hospital has 32 and Deep Hospital has one patient. The total number of patients in private facility stands at 187. Presently, five patients are on ventilator. The Covid care centre at Meritorious School can accommodate 500 patients.

“As many as 350 patients can be admitted in the isolation ward of government hospitals while private hospitals can accommodate 285 patients,” said Dr Ramesh, district epidemiologist.

On Monday, a patient had to move from one hospital to another in search of bed. The patient had not undergone the Covid test and had blood infection and indigestion problem. From morning till evening, his family had to move from one hospital to another and ultimately the patient died in the evening.

“First, we went to a private hospital in Model Town where there was no bed. Then two other hospitals also refused to admit our patient. We were asked to get the Covid test done at the Civil Hospital. When we reached the Civil Hospital, there was utter chaos. By evening, the patient lost his life,” said a relative of the patient.

“Instead of asking patients to get the Covid test done, hospitals should have some emergency arrangement. The report does not come on the spot. What would have been the status of patient’s admission in the hospital?” he added.

Meanwhile, in two such cases wherein after coming to know that the patients had tested positive for the Covid, their families wanted to shift them to the Civil Hospital fearing huge bill, but unfortunately the patients died on way to the hospital.

On Sunday, a 72-year-old woman from Janakpuri was admitted to Oswal Hospital from where she was referred to the Civil Hospital. She lost her life on way to the Civil Hospital.

“Fearing huge bill at private hospital, we wanted to shift our patient to government hospital, but she died on the way. There should be a cap on the cost of treatment of Covid patients at private hospitals. Such unfortunate incidents should happen with anyone else,” said a family member of the deceased.

Another 50-year-old male from Islam Ganj, who was admitted to the DMCH from where he was referred to the Civil Hospital. He too breathed his last on way to the Civil Hospital.

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