Rapid rise in critical Covid patients on ventilator in Ludhiana district

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 12

Ludhiana district, which has earned a dubious distinction of Covid capital of the state and was among the worst-hit districts in the state, has been witnessing a rapid rise in the number of critical virus patients put on ventilators.

Official figures available with The Tribune revealed that the highest-ever 64 critically ill patients suffering from Covid were put on ventilators in different government and private hospitals across the district on Wednesday.

At the same time, a record high of 1,749 serious virus patients were under hospitalisation while 9,662 active cases were kept under home isolation in the district on Wednesday.

In an indication of the Covid situation turning grimmer with each passing day, the count of critical patients on life support has increased more than three-fold within little over a month.

The number of patients on ventilators has risen from 19 on April 4 to 64 on May 12.

The data showed that the figure kept rising constantly since April, from 20 on April 5 to 22 on April 10, 25 on April 11, 30 on April 15, 31 on April 27, 40 on April 30, 42 on May 1, before coming down to 35 on May 4.

However, the number has been constantly going up from 41 on May 5 to 47 on May 6, 52 on May 7, 54 on May 9, 56 on May 10 and touching an all-time high of 64 on May 12.

The tally of active cases in the district also touched a record high of 12,598, including 12,278 local residents and 320 from other parts of the country under treatment here. The exponential rise in the figure was evident from the fact that it has risen from 7,447 on May 4, registering an increase of 169.16 per cent within a week.

The count of Covid positive cases also crossed the 80,000-mark and mounted to 80,475, including 71,066, from Ludhiana district and 9,409 outsiders. So far, only a single case of Covid patient’s death under home isolation has been reported in the district.

Ventilators almost doubled

Taking cognisance of the rising number of critical patients, the district administration has almost doubled the number of ventilators in less than a week from 147 on May 6 to 274. As many as 147 on May 6 to 212 on May 8 to 274, including 256 in private hospitals, and 18 in government facilities, on Wednesday.

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