No trained staff, Barnala shifts all ventilators to other districts

Tribune News Service

Barnala, June 14

The lack of trained staff in Barnala has forced the health authorities to shift all eight ventilators to other districts.

The district has 3.7 per cent Covid Case Fatality Rate (CFR), which is third highest in the state after Sangrur (5.3%) and Tarn Taran (4.3%), while many strongly believe that many lives could have been saved had the authorities made ventilators functional here.

“The state government failed to arrange the required staff to run the ventilators and provide other required facilities, which has led to many deaths in the district. All claims of the government to have taken required steps are only on papers. We have not seen any improvement and the health department is still shifting Covid patients to other districts,” said Narain Dutt, president, Inquilabi Kendra Punjab.

No Level-3 facility

• Barnala has only two Level-2 facilities — at Barnala and Mehal Kalan — while for L-3 patients, there is no arrangement and patients are forced to rush to Ludhiana, Patiala or Bathinda
• Sources say to date 219 locals have died of Covid, of which highest number (79) is from Barnala Urban health block, followed by Dhanaula (65), Tapa (48) and Mehal Kalan (27)

Sources said to date 219 locals had died of Covid, of which highest number (79) is from Barnala Urban health block, followed by Dhanaula (65), Tapa (48) and Mehal Kalan (27). Currently, 127 Covid patients are in home isolation, while 191 in Level 2.

The district has only two Level-2 facilities — at Barnala and Mehal Kalan — while for L-3 patients, there is no arrangement and patients are forced to rush to either Ludhiana, Patiala or Bathinda.

“My father died last month at the Sangrur Civil Hospital as we could not admit him in Barnala due to lack of facilities,” said a Barnala resident on the condition of anonymity.

However, some health officials countered the allegations, saying the lack of facilities alone could not be blamed as late testing and late admission to hospital were contributing largely to deaths in both rural and urban areas.

Civil Surgeon Dr Jasvir Singh Aulakh confirmed six ventilators were shifted to Bathinda and two to Faridkot due to lack of required trained staff. “But, we can’t blame the lack of ventilators alone for all deaths as the reluctance to get tested and admitted to hospitals is mainly responsible for the rising death rate. We have saved many patients who reported deteriorating health at an early stage, but failed to save many who came when their health worsened,” Dr Aulakh added.