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Ghaziabad gets nod for 15 more ambulances to ferry Covid-19 patients
Ghaziabad The health department has received an approval for 15 more ambulances for the district from the state government for ferrying Covid-19 patients to the
Ghaziabad The health department has received an approval for 15 more ambulances for the district from the state government for ferrying Covid-19 patients to the dedicated Covid hospitals, officials said on Tuesday. The department is presently operating 14 ambulances for transporting such patients to different hospitals in the district.
According to the figures issued by the state control room, Ghaziabad has the highest number of active cases at 1,251 till July 6 among all 75 districts in the state. The total positive cases stood at 2,283 and the numbers are rising since Unlock 1 was implemented from June 1.
“After the surge in number of positive cases in June, we had to open up two L1 hospitals, one each at Niwari and Modinagar, which are on the outskirts of the city. So, ferrying patients are taking time for our 14 ambulances which are being used for Covid-19 duty. This is why we sought 15 more ambulances so that timely transfer of patients becomes possible. The state officials have given clearance and 15 ambulances operated under ‘102 service’ will be given to us shortly,” said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer.
At present, the patients are ferried to Covid hospitals through 12 ambulances under 102 service and two other advanced life-support ambulances.
“There was proposal that we use the ‘108 service’ ambulances for Covid-19 patients. But we refused as these ambulances are exclusively meant for ferrying pregnant women and children,” Dr Gupta added.
According to official records, the 102 service ambulances made about 40 to 50 trips per day for ferrying Covid patients in June, while the number of per day trips has gone up to about 90-100 in the current month.
“This is because we have an average of 100 patients who are turning positive daily this July. For better management, we have also resorted to pooling of patients from a family or a locality in order to reduce number of trips. It takes us about two hours to reach a patient’s house in Indirapuram/Vaishali and ferry him/her to the L1 hospital at Niwari,” said an officer attached to the operation of ambulance service.
At present, the district has five Covid hospitals in operation. These include three L1 category facilities -- ESIC Hospital at Sahibabad, Divyajyoti Hospital at Niwari and SRM Hospital at Modinagar -- one L2 hospital at Sanjay Nagar and one L3 hospital near old bus stand.
“On average, an ambulance is running about 150 to 200km per day for ferrying Covid patients to hospitals. To reduce the burden, we have also stopped the home drop of patients who get discharged from hospitals,” the officer said.
In the last week of June, the state government had issued directions that no ambulance will be provided to the patients for home drop after they get discharged from Covid hospitals.
