Chandigarh admn asks PGIMER, GMCH-32 to create more ICUs for Covid patients

As the number of patients in dedicated Covid-19 hospitals is increasing, pressure is building up for setting up more ICUs at identified sites at PGIMER and GMCH-32

With the surge in Covid-19 cases, the UT administration has asked the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) and the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32 to set up more intensive care units (ICUs) for critically ill Covid patients.

With the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Chandigarh, top hospitals have been asked to create more critical care units. (via REUTERS/For representation only)

As the number of patients in dedicated Covid-19 hospitals is increasing, pressure is building up for setting up more ICUs at identified sites at PGIMER and GMCH-32.

Occupancy in PGIMER’s Covid hospital is 78% with 155 of 200 beds taken up and 31 patients in the ICU.

A majority of the patients are from Punjab (60) followed by Chandigarh (53), Haryana (13) and Himachal Pradesh (12), even cases from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

“Existing ventilators in the Covid-19 hospital have been exhausted and a few ventilators shifted from other areas for the Covid-19 patients. We have severely (ill) patients from across the region and few mild cases who are employees of the institute,” said Dr Jagat Ram, director, PGIMER.

Similarly, in the Sector 48 hospital, out of 100 beds, around 50 are occupied and four patients are on ventilators, which leaves 11 out of 15 ventilators free for use.

UT health secretary Arun Gupta said they had asked the hospitals to prepare more ICUs in the hospital. “Intensive care is required for those who are severely ill, so we have asked PGIMER and GMCH-32 to prepare more ICU beds.”

Gupta said there were enough facilities for asymptomatic and mild cases.

Out of 628 patients, around 150 are in home isolation and the remaining in Covid care centres.

As of now, two Covid care centres established at Sood Dharamshala and the Sector 47 Ayurvedic College are almost at full capacity and hostels at Panjab University are being readied for patients.

The city hospitals in total have around 250 ventilators.