For the first time in nearly four months, Delhi’s biggest treatment facility for coronavirus disease (Covid-19) – the 2,000-bed Lok Nayak hospital – did not report a death on Monday. “No death in our biggest COVID hospital LNJP yesterday,” tweeted chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday.
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The hospital has been recording a couple of deaths daily since it started treating Covid-19 patients in March. The number of deaths had shot up to 10 to 15 a day in June when Delhi had seen a surge in the number of cases.
Delhi reported 28 Covid deaths on Tuesday, taking the toll due to the viral disease to 3,881, according to Delhi government’s daily bulletin.
According to data shared by the chief minister’s office earlier this month, the daily death toll due to Covid-19 in Delhi had reached 101 in June. In comparison, Delhi recorded 27 deaths on average every day during the last week.
“We have been recording one or two deaths every day at the hospital as we get the critical patients here – many referred from other centre and in need of ventilation. Even on Sunday, two deaths had been recorded at the hospital. Monday was the first day since the hospital started treating Covid-19 patients that no deaths were reported. The figures were reported to the government today morning,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, director, Lok Nayak hospital.
{{/usCountry}}“We have been recording one or two deaths every day at the hospital as we get the critical patients here – many referred from other centre and in need of ventilation. Even on Sunday, two deaths had been recorded at the hospital. Monday was the first day since the hospital started treating Covid-19 patients that no deaths were reported. The figures were reported to the government today morning,” said Dr Suresh Kumar, director, Lok Nayak hospital.
{{/usCountry}}To be sure, the fewer deaths could be a result of fewer admissions at the hospital – only 412 of the 2,000 beds in the hospital were occupied as on Tuesday evening, according to the Delhi corona app. The availability of ICU beds, newer treatments, and plasma therapy for the patients has helped in bringing down the fatalities, Dr Kumar said.
The hospital currently has 255 ICU beds – with and without ventilator.
“In June, there were fewer ICU beds in the hospital and a large number of patients. Now, we are admitting anyone whose disease is likely to deteriorate in the ICU, ensuring close monitoring. All my doctors have also been working very hard to monitor the patients,” said Dr Kumar.
He added that the hospital has also started using the experimental drug Remdesivir, aiding the recovery of the patients. “Our plasma bank has also ensured that anyone in need of plasma therapy is able to get it improving the clinical outcomes of the patients,” he said.
Lok Nayak was the second hospital to set up a convalescent plasma bank, after the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. However, its bank unlike the one in ILBS, does not provide plasma to patients admitted to other hospitals.