Ludhiana: Civil hospital’s ICU remains shut for years
The ICU at the civil hospital in Ludhiana has been lying closed for around two years now due to staff shortage; due to this, critically ill patients have to be referred to other hospitals
The intensive care unit (ICU) at the civil hospital here remains shut despite health minister Dr Balbir Singh’s recent claim regarding making it functional. During a visit to the hospital on November 18, the minister had said that the ICU had been made functional.
The ICU has been lying closed for around two years now due to staff shortage. Due to this, critically ill patients have to be referred to other hospitals. The ICU has 16 ventilators that are unused.
On June 28, Dr Balbir Singh, during a visit to the hospital, had promised that the ICU would be made functional soon. He had taken a tour of the ICU.
Civil surgeon Dr Pardeep Mohindra said, “The senior medical officer (SMO) of the hospital is on leave till Monday. I will be able to comment once I speak with him.”
Health minister Dr Balbir Singh didn’t respond to multiple calls.
During his latest visit, the health minister had said that a batch of newly recruited doctors would be sent to the district hospitals across the state within a month to address staff shortage. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the ICU was operational as the OPD had been closed and emergency cases were shifted to ESI hospital. According to hospital visitors, the ICU remains always locked barring rare occasion when the minister visits the hospital and takes a tour of the ward.