Patiala's Rajindra Hospital reports 31 Covid deaths in 24 hours, mortuary runs out of space

Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, April 26

The mortuary of Government Rajindra Hospital in Patiala is running out of space as the hospital reported 31 covid deaths over the past 24 hours.

Hospital authorities said that that the toll includes three patients, who died at the isolation ward, whose COVID test results were awaited.

This is the highest number of COVID deaths at Rajindra Hospital since the emergence of the deadly disease.

Following the rising deaths at the hospital, a mortuary that has the capacity of 16 bodies, is running out of space.

Sources said that the maximum number of deaths, 13, were reported at the fifth floor (ICU ward) of the eight-story COVID ward of the hospital.

With this development, the total death count at the hospital rose above 1,200 since the outbreak last year.

Currently, around 259 patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Surbhi Malik, in-charge, COVID isolation, Rajindra Hospital, said, “We have had 50 admissions of people in the last two days. Also, the majority of deaths were witnessed in their first 48 hours of admission.”

She added that the people were coming in very sick.

She said the proportion of moderately sick patients was much higher than those in very sick and critical condition in the previous wave. “It is in reverse now. The level three patients (very sick and critical) are much more in number this time.”

This is while the hospital has all necessary equipment and facilities for the patients including specialist doctors and ventilators, she pointed out.

She said as per data collected from inside the hospital a few days ago, there was hardly anybody among the sickest patients who was already vaccinated.

This suggests that getting two doses of vaccination goes a long way in reducing mortality, she said.

Meanwhile, Dr Rajan Singla, Principal, Government Medical College, said, “We have enough space at mortuary. Apart from 14 chambers, we have one more room which has air conditioners (AC), wherein, more dead bodies can be accommodated.”

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