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Chandigarh: Private hospitals also out of beds as dengue cases refuse to abate
Hospitals across the Chandigarh tricity area also reporting shortage of platelets, forced to turn away patients
With dengue case soaring to alarming proportions in the tricity, leaving government health facilities strained, even major private hospitals are running out of beds.
Over 15 patients, suffering from dengue symptoms, are getting admitted to major private hospitals daily, forcing them to turn away many. The hospitals are also reporting shortage of platelets for patients with severe infection.
For weeks, government hospitals in the tricity – primarily those in Chandigarh, which are catering to patients from across the region – have been buckling under the spike in dengue cases, leading patients to turn to private facilities.
“We are getting patients with confirmed or suspected dengue infection from across the tricity. On an average, 15 patients are getting admitted daily, including those with severe infection. So far, we have treated 45 dengue patients and 10 suspected patients,” said Abhijit Singh, director, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, adding that to manage the increase in patient load, the hospital was ramping up its bed capacity.
Dr RS Bedi, who runs Bedi Hospital in Chandigarh and is former national vice-president of the Indian Medical Association, said, “Daily, over 35 patients are getting consultancy at our hospital and around 10 require admissions. Many patients are getting diagnosed at later stages, increasing severity of infection. As we cannot arrange more beds, we are forced to turn away 4-5 patients.”
Dr Achint Narang, senior consultant and head, critical care, Alchemist Hospital, Panchkula, said, “This year, we are receiving more severe cases compared to previous years. This may be related to some sort of strain change, which can be confirmed only through genetic mapping of viruses causing the infections this season. Also, more younger patients are being affected. Due to sudden spike in patient inflow, our bed capacity is nearly full.”
At government hospitals, in absence of beds, patients are being treated on trolleys or in other departments.
Dr Jagat Ram, director, PGIMER said, “Internal medicine department is catering to over 200 patients at present, almost double than its capacity, and most of the patients are suffering from fever. We are also admitting 15-20 confirmed dengue patients daily, with most of them in serious condition.”
The situation is similar at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Sector 32 and Government Multi-Specialty Hospital (GMSH) in Sector 16, where more patients than the hospitals’ capacity are being treated for the infection.
“We have a dedicated ward of 70 beds at the civil hospital and more beds will be added if needed,” said Dr Adarshpal Kaur, civil surgeon, Mohali, adding that many patients from Mohali are under treatment in Chandigarh hospitals as well.
147 fresh dengue cases in tricity
The fresh dengue cases shot up to 147 on Saturday, against 101 on Friday.
Mohali confirmed 85 cases, followed 36 in Chandigarh and 26 in Panchkula.
With this, Mohali’s dengue cases this year have reached 1,981, far ahead of Chandigarh’s tally of 581 and Panchkula’s total of 422.
Mohali district has also lost 21 residents to the viral infection, while three people have died in Chandigarh. Panchkula has reported no death till now.
Meanwhile, the House Owners Welfare Association (HOWA), Sector 10, Panchkula, on Saturday blamed the local administration for the outbreak and urged the municipal corporation to start a special campaign to trim bushes and conduct door-to-door fogging in all sectors of the city.
