Four Sangrur govt hospitals without ventilator

The absence of ventilators could prove critical, as COVID-19 causes respiratory failure in which patients require a ventilator

With the coronavirus disease spreading rapidly, four district government hospitals in Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa and Bathinda are functioning without a single ventilator between them. There is also shortage of trained staff to man isolation wards.

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The absence of ventilators could prove critical, as COVID-19 causes respiratory failure in which patients require a ventilator. In the face of this potentially-crippling infrastructure gap, government hospital authorities claimed to have coordinated with private hospitals and medical colleges for ventilators.

“Every district level hospital should have ventilators. Due to no ventilators in Sangur civil hospital, we have coordinated with private hospitals to handle any critical situation,” said Dr Raj Kumar, Sangrur civil surgeon.

Barnala civil surgeon Dr GB Singh said, “We have made all arrangements to handle Covid-19. Patients will be shifted to private hospitals or nearby medical colleges in case of any requirement of ventilator services. We have written to higher authorities, seeking a ventilator.”

Patiala civil surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra claimed they had sufficient number of ventilators at Mata Kaushalya Hospital and Government Medical College, Patiala.