On May 24, Times Of India highlighted the shortage of beds for Covid-19 patients in Delhi’s private hospitals.
According to the report, about 80% of beds earmarked for Covid-19 patients in eight city private hospitals are already taken, with 507 of a total of 631 occupied. Top hospitals like Apollo (Sarita Vihar), Max Smart (Saket), Fortis (Shalimar Bagh) and Sir Ganga Ram City and Sir Ganga Ram Kolmet in Pusa Road are almost full.
Times of India quoted a senior doctor at Apollo hospital saying they have around 80 beds for Covid-19 patients. “All of them are full. We have a few additional beds for suspected cases and one or two patients have tested positive there too,” he said.
A spokesperson at Max Hospital, Saket, said they had earmarked 160 beds for Covid cases. “Because the demand was higher and over 90% beds were running full, we added 34 more beds on Saturday.”
According to the same report, two hospitals, Sir Ganga Ram Kolmet and Sir Ganga Ram City, have been designated for Covid-19 treatment. Both have 79% occupancy.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra has sought Kerala’s assistance in the managing the pandemic in Mumbai, requesting 50 experienced doctors and 100 nurses from the southern state, Live Mint has reported.
According to an Indian Express report, In a letter to Kerala Health Minister K.K. Shailaja, the Director of Medical Education & Research, Maharashtra, Dr T.P. Lahane requested for expert doctors and nurses for managing the 600-bed dedicated Covid-19 centre being set up at Mumbai’s Mahalakshmi Race Course. The facility includes a 125- bed ICU. Patients with moderate symptoms are being admitted at this healthcare centre.
The letter says healthcare workers in Mumbai are working at full capacity and with the likelihood of Covid-19 cases increasing in the densely populated cities of Mumbai and Pune, there is a need for more doctors and nurses in the state.
With 18,555 cases and 696 deaths until May 17, Mumbai has the highest Covid-19 burden in the country.
Maharashtra government statistics show that about 30 per cent of Covid-19 cases who are admitted are symptomatic, including 3 per cent in need of critical care. While this is a small percentage, the city still faces an acute shortage of hospital beds for these critical patients.
Only about 30% patients require hospitalised care in a Dedicated Covid Hospital. But glitches in following protocol, a lag in reacting to changing patient requirements, and inadequate resource-monitoring is leading to inefficient utilisation of critical care beds and equipment in Maharashtra.
A day after TOI highlighted the shortage of beds for Covid-19 patients in the city’s private hospitals, the Delhi government took note of the crisis and decided to increase the allocation in these hospitals.
It directed all private hospitals and nursing homes with a capacity of 50 beds or more to reserve at least 20% of their total bed strength for coronavirus patients.
