All ICU beds full: PGI Director

Naina Mishra

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 28

PGI Director Dr Jagat Ram today stated that the medical institute has run out of ICU beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients.

In absence of capacity to upgrade ICU beds, the UT Administration suggested that non-critical patients or mild/moderate cases, where patients can be shifted to Covid care centres or could receive medication at home could be accordingly discharged and all beds should be kept in reserve for severe and critical cases only.

There are only 124 ventilator beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients for Chandigarh with a population of over 10 lakh and over 6,000 currently infected patients.

There are only 124 ventilator beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients for Chandigarh with a population of fewer than 11 Lakhs. The city has over 6,000 active cases.

Of the 72 ICU beds at the PGI, only two are reserved for children and three for those Covid patients who require surgery.

Dr GD Puri, Head, Intensive Care, PGI, said eight ICU beds were being set up in operating rooms. “We need many more ICUs for patients as the requirement has gone up with more patients turning critical,” he said.

The Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 has only two ICU beds vacant, while only one ICU bed was vacant at Government Multi-Specialty Hospital in Sector 16.

GMCH Docs to taste food for Covid sick

Chandigarh: To maintain the quality of food served to Covid patients at the GMCH-32, a senior doctor/officer will now have the same food. This will be in addition to the existing system of routine tasting of food and maintaining a record of it. On the first day, the Director-Principal and the Medical Superintendent had the same lunch that was served to patients. The initiative aims at sending a message to the person involved in cooking to be aware that now, apart from patients, the food is being taken by senior doctors or officers. TNS