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No bed for critical Covid patients in Mohali
When it comes to beds with oxygen support, not a single is available at private hospitals, and just 15 remain vacant at the civil hospital
At a time when Mohali is reporting a record number of Covid-19 fatalities and the number of active cases is around 8,000, hospitals in the district — both government and private — have run out of beds for critical patients needing ventilator support.
Also, when it comes to beds with oxygen support, not a single is available at private hospitals, and just 15 remain vacant at government facilities.
The second wave is witnessing more complications among patients, with a large proportion needing critical care or oxygen support. As many as 109 people have succumbed to the virus in April alone, which accounts for 20% deaths since the outbreak last March.
Also read: All Covid beds occupied in Haryana’s Panchkula district
According to data provided by the district authorities on Sunday evening, Mohali has 781 beds for critical patients, of which 220 are with ventilators (Level-3) and 546 with oxygen support (Level-2). While all L3 beds are occupied, only 15 L2 beds are available at the civil hospital in Phase 6.
There are around 30 big private hospitals in Mohali, which has emerged as a medical tourism hub, but all have been refusing admission to critical patients after running out of beds.
While none of the nine government facilities has ventilators, patients needing oxygen support are kept at only two civil hospitals, in Mohali’s Phase 6 and Dhakoli, and those needing critical care are being referred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala, said civil surgeon Dr Adarshpal Kaur. Meanwhile, patients who are not in the need of any urgent medical attention are mostly in home isolation or admitted to Level-1 facilities.
Pvt hospitals turning back patients
“I took my 75-year-old mother who is suffering from Covid-19 to Fortis Hospital in Mohali, but they kept us in the emergency for a night, as they had no bed. I had to late shifted her to a private hospital in Chandigarh,” said, Simerjeet Singh Sohata, a resident of Phase 10.
Abhijit Singh, zonal director of Fortis Hospital, said: “As of now, all our beds are full. We are trying to expand the capacity by Monday.”
Dr Ankush Mehta, general manager, Max Hospital, said: “Our Covid-19 occupancy in 100%. We have increased our overall bed capacity from 82 to 126, but still, we don’t have any bed. We have no option, but to refuse admission to patients.”
Rush from Delhi responsible: DC
Reassuring the public that there was no reason to panic, Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said: “The beds at private hospitals have been occupied due to rush from Delhi. We are asking all private hospitals to increase their bed capacity and reserve beds for critical patients.”
Seven hospitals, which have been assessed by experts to have provided quality Covid care in the past, have been directed for compliance, he said. These are Max, Fortis, Ivy, Indus, Sohana, Grecian and Mayo.
Dayalan said the 200-bed L1 facility at Chandigarh University, Gharuan, is also being upgraded to 1,000 beds, as per requirement. “As the number of patients being cured and discharged is also increasing, beds are becoming vacant. So, we have ample facilities to cater to the increasing number of cases,” he said.
