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All Covid beds occupied in Haryana’s Panchkula district
Around 50 beds are being added at the community health centre in Raipur Rani, while arrangements are being made for 15 beds at a private facility in Kalka and 25 in Panchkula
The district health authorities were scrambling to make alternative arrangements after all beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients got occupied at private and government facilities in Panchkula by Sunday evening.
There are 451 Covid-19 beds in Panchkula, of which 58 are with ventilators, 323 with oxygen support and 70 for patients just requiring isolation.
“All beds are occupied. We had vacant beds till morning, but all got filled by the evening,” said Dr Jasjeet Kaur, civil surgeon, Panchkula.
Also read: No bed for critical Covid patients in Mohali
Kaur said around 50 beds are being added at the community health centre in Raipur Rani, while arrangements are being made for 15 beds at a private facility in Kalka and 25 in Panchkula.
Meanwhile, district magistrate Mukul Kumar on Sunday directed all government and private hospitals to ensure that at least 50% of their total bed capacity in general category and 70% in ICU/ventilator category are dedicated for Covid-19 cases, with adequate availability of human resource and medical logistics.
According to the order, in case of an urgent need to divert the beds, any change in the above reservation can only be made with the prior approval of the district magistrate and civil surgeon.
Panchkula has seen a steep surge in the pandemic this month, with 6,076 cases and 29 deaths, which account for 30% and 15% of the total tally, respectively, since the outbreak. The civil surgeon said that at least 50% Covid-19 patients admitted to the district hospitals are from outside. “We might even request the Mohali administration to adjust our patients,” she said.
Chandigarh is better placed amid crisis
At Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, all 63 ICU beds with ventilators are occupied. In the remaining 247 beds, the occupancy has reached 77% and only 56 remain available.
Meanwhile, all 17 ventilators at the dedicated hospital in Sector 48 have been occupied, and only 43 of the 100 oxygen beds are available.
At Government Multi Specialty Hospital, Sector 16, only one of the seven ventilators and 24 of the 200 oxygen beds are available.
The situation is much better at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, where 57% (88) of the 155 beds and 45% (14) of the 31 ventilators are available, according to data gathered on Sunday evening. However, the data for private facilities was not readily available.
Health secretary Arun Gupta said more oxygen beds are being added on a daily basis and the authorities are also trying to allot non-covid ICU beds to Covid-19 patients.
”Since the last peak, we have added around 40-50 ventilators, and have sent a request for 30 additional ventilators,” he said.
