Spike in cases: Chandigarh PGIMER’s Covid hospital now 50% occupied
PGIMER director Dr Jagat Ram said there has been huge influx of patients referred from GMCH-32 and GMSH-16
With Chandigarh witnessing a surge in number of coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the past week and a half, the basic infrastructure reserved for the isolation and treatment of the patients in the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has got occupied to half its capacity.
The dedicated Covid-19 hospital established in the Nehru Hospital Extension Block of the PGIMER has 200 beds, of which 30 are ventilators. Presently, 100 patients have been admitted here, which include 93 active cases from Chandigarh, while seven from neighbouring states.
Confirming the same on Tuesday, PGIMER director Dr Jagat Ram said there has been huge influx of Covid-19 patients which are being referred from Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, and Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32. “Our workforce is doing exceptionally well to deal with the increasing cases,” Ram said.
Dean (academics) GD Puri, who is supervising the Covid operations at PGIMER, said, “We are regularly upgrading the arrangements as per the feedback of the officials concerned. Around 40 healthcare workers are discharging their duties at the Covid-19 hospital in each of the four shifts every day. The load is gradually increasing and so are our plans and preparations.”
EXIGENCY PLANS
To date, Chandigarh’s Covid-19 tally stands at 115 cases, out of which 21 have been treated and one has died due to the infection.
The health department of Chandigarh has predicted 3,600 active cases at the peak in the city, out of which 360 would develop severe symptoms that will require comprehensive care in the hospitals.
The UT health department has planned to exhaust 90% capacity of Nehru Hospital Extension building after which the patients would be admitted to the civil hospital in Sector 48, the second dedicated Covid-19 hospital in the city.
The 10% capacity will be reserved for those who may develop severe symptoms. Subsequently, in case of an emergency, the established protocol is of admitting only severe cases, while patients with mild or no symptoms will be admitted to covid facilities planned to be established at Sood Dharamshala in Sector 22, Panchayat Bhawan in Sector 18, hostels of Panjab University, GMCH-32, private hospitals and nursing homes.