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Chandigarh GMSH-16’s paediatric ICU centre in a self-induced coma
The 32-bed dedicated paediatric ICU centre was supposed to have 12 ventilators and 20 other beds with medical oxygen facilit, but construction work continues to drag on
The project to set up a 32-bed dedicated paediatric ICU centre at the Government Multi Specialty Hospital (GMSH), Sector 16, missed another deadline, with UT health department officials now saying that the project will take another month to complete.
UT health department had decided to set up a dedicated paediatric unit at GMSH-16, till October last year as a preparation for Covid pandemic’s possible next wave.
After the October deadline was overshot, the project was tipped to be completed by February this year, but was once again delayed due to the slow pace of construction work.
“The engineering-related work is taking some more time to get complete. Earlier, the project got slowed down due to Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections. But, we are working on the project in full swing and we are expecting to complete the project in a month,” the UT health services director Dr Suman Singh said.
Once complete, the centre was supposed to have 12 ventilators, while the remaining 20 beds were expected to offer medical oxygen facility.
At present, GMSH-16 already has a 20-bed ICU facility for the younger population, including a total of eight ventilator beds and 12 others with oxygen facility at the hospital’s surgical ward. The new facility was added to enhance patient care.
The dedicated ICU is being constructed at the hospital’s nursing hostel, which was lying vacant since the nursing hotel shifted to the campus of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32.
Speaking of the additions, Singh said, “Besides the dedicated Covid ICU, the hospital is also planning on starting an advanced paediatric centre at the hospital.”
“The planning for the project is underway and the work for the same is also expected to start soon,” the UT health services director added.
‘Centre was being set up for Covid management’
After looking at the high number of Covid infections among the younger population during the first and the second waves of the pandemic, the project was initiated to manage the patient load for the third wave, which had peaked in January this year.
However, the project was not completed in the time frame, putting the onus of tackling the situation on other government hospitals.
“During the third wave, the infection rate among people was high, but hospitalisation was very low. There was no dire need of the ICU facility as we were managing the patient load at the already existing facilities,” Singh added.
