After home isolation nod, focus now on increasing L2, L3 category beds

The Ghaziabad district administration is focusing its efforts to increase beds in its L2 and L3 category hospitals, which cater to Covid-19 patients with moderate

The Ghaziabad district administration is focusing its efforts to increase beds in its L2 and L3 category hospitals, which cater to Covid-19 patients with moderate and mild symptoms, respectively.

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The move comes after a nudge by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister’s office to ramp up the bed infrastructure across the state. Officials said that with home isolation facility having been granted by the government on July 20, L1 category hospitals — which were meant to treat asymptomatic patients — will be required less now.

The Ghaziabad administration on July 20 gave its nod for home isolation of asymptomtic patients, after assessment by rapid response teams. Prior to the government’s home isolation order, all patients, including asymptomatic ones, were admitted to dedicated L1, L2 or L3 hospitals depending on the severity of their health condition.

The UP government overall has about 1.5 lakh L1, L2 and L3 hospital beds at present.

“The CM has asked to increase the number of beds in L2 and L3 Covid hospitals and has said that ventilators should remain functional. He has asserted that treatment of any patients should not be affected for want or medicine. In this regard, adequate quantity of medicines should be available with all the hospitals,” said Awanish Awasthi, UP’s additional chief secretary (home).

In Ghaziabad, the district health department has three L1 facilities — ESIC Hospital at Sahibabad, Divyajyoti Hospital at Niwari and SRM College at Modinagar.

“Since we have started the process of home isolation, we expect that majority of asymptomatic patients who were admitted to L1 hospitals will now move to home isolation. We will now assess the decline in number of patients at L1 hospitals for about 15 days or so. Our entire focus now will be on betterment and increase of beds under L2 and L3 category hospitals,” said Ajay Shankar Pandey, Ghaziabad district magistrate.

He added that the district administration about a fortnight ago had also sent a proposal to the government for converting the Haj House near river Hindon as a Covid care facility for asymptomatic patients, with about 1,200 beds.

“With home isolation in place, we may not require the Haj House facility now. I have already directed for converting the ESIC Hospital into an L2 hospital which will allow us to add 100 more L2 category beds. Further, more private hospitals, having super specialty treatment, have been asked to dedicate their hospitals or one of the wings for paid Covid treatment. This will help us rope in more L2 and L3 beds with ventilator facilities,” Pandey added.

Sources said that the administration may do away with SRM College facility once the home isolation facility reaches optimum level and all the patients admitted there get discharged as per discharge guidelines.

The officials said that the doctors in Ghaziabad are also getting inputs for treatment from their seniors posted at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences at Lucknow,a s well as getting online help from other senior doctors for better treatment.

The official sources in the health department said that the government has already acquired a private medical college in Pilkhuwa (Hapur district) where patients with moderate and severe symptoms can be sent under the concept of ‘bed pooling.’

“For sending our patients there, we require government order which is expected soon,” Pandey said.

Under the bed pooling, officials have planned identification of medical colleges under the Meerut division where patients can be referred to if beds are not vacant in any of the districts.

According to the officials, Ghaziabad may need a total of 100 to 150 ICU beds as cases are rising in the district. At present, the district has only 33 ICU beds in government facilities and another 13 ICU beds reserved in private hospitals, they said.

In Ghaziabad, the officials at present have identified about 4,816 L1 category beds, 1,026 L2/L3 beds, 117 ICU beds and 1,096 beds having oxygen facilities. Out of these, 876 L1 beds, 1026 L2/L3 beds, 117 ICU and 1096 beds having oxygen and are already fully operational.

In government sector in Ghaziabad, only 33 ICU beds are available at L2/L3 hospitals. In private , the district has 544 beds which are available in eight private hospitals.