Hospital beds to be reserved for Covid-19 patients if cases rise in Gurugram

Gurugram health department will reserve beds at Civil Hospital and private hospitals, and create isolation wards if there is a spike in COVID-19 cases. The city reported 161 fresh cases on 14 September and 213 on 13 September. The health department plans to reserve 72 beds at ESI hospital patients and 25 beds and 4 ICU beds at Civil Hospital. The deputy commissioner also directed the health department to set up a portable ward for COVID-19 patients at the Civil Hospital in Sector 10. A similar drill will be carried out in private hospitals on 15 September.

In view of Covid-19 cases rising across the country and in the state of Haryana, the Gurugram health department on Monday said it will reserve beds at the Civil Hospital as well as private hospitals and also create isolation wards, if there is any alarming increase in cases in the district.

Gurugram, India-April 10, 2023: Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner and Dr. Virendra Yadav, CMO, ESIC hospital visited the hospital to inspect the COVID preparedness during the nationwide mock drill at sector-9, in Gurugram, India, on Monday, 10 April 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)

The health department along with the district administration carried out a health drill to check Covid preparedness at the three government hospitals on the first day of a two-day nationwide drill.

The district administration on Monday asked city residents to follow social distancing norms seriously and wear masks at public gatherings and crowded places.

There has been a steady rise in the number of fresh Covid 19 cases in Haryana and on Saturday, the state government made masks mandatory in public places, and also in gatherings of more than 100.

In Gurugram, too, the number of Covid 19 cases is rising and on Monday, the city reported 161 fresh cases while on Sunday, it reported 213 cases, according to district health department data.

Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, Gurugram, said to ensure that there are adequate number of beds available for Covid-19 patients, the department plans to reserve 72 beds at ESI hospital patients and 25 beds and 4 ICU [intensive care unit] beds at Civil Hospital. “We have already created an isolation ward of 35 beds at SGT Hospital and reserved 5 ICU beds for treating Covid 19 patients in case there is a further increase in cases. It is also being ensured that medicines are available locally,” he said.

The functioning of six PSA [pressure swing absorption] oxygen plants at these hospitals was checked and found to be running smoothly, said the health department officials.

Meanwhile, Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Yadav, who headed the drill on Monday, directed the health department to set up a portable ward for Covid patients at the Civil Hospital in Sector 10. Yadav also inspected three oxygen plants installed on the hospital premises besides visiting the flu corner, the out patient department, and Covid wards to check the status of preparedness. He also instructed the health department to increase the testing for Covid 19.

The deputy commissioner also visited the ESI hospital in Sector 9 and checked the functioning of oxygen plant installed there.

Later, addressing the media, the deputy commissioner said there has been a rise in Covid-19 cases across the country, including Haryana, and that is the reason the drill being carried out. The Haryana government has made it mandatory to wear masks at places where public gathering is more than 100. “The drill was carried out at Civil Hospital in sector 10, ESI hospital in sector 9 and the SGT University to check whether PSA plants were functional. It was also checked whether separate wards and facilities were available to treat Covid 19 patients and whether oxygen was available in wards. All requirements were found to be satisfactory in these hospitals,” said Yadav, adding that a similar drill will be carried out in private hospitals on Tuesday.

The health department officials said the inspection of six PSA plants was conducted and all were found to be operational and liquid medical oxygen was available for patients. “The plants were found to be working and producing medical grade oxygen,” said Dr Yadav.

When asked about the enforcement of masks, health department officials said strict enforcement will start in the coming days and teams from agencies concerned will also be issuing fines to prevent the spread of Covid 19.