Staff crunch: Panchkula to rope in medicos
Amit Bathla
Tribune News Service
Panchkula, April 29
Health staff shortage is a major concern for the district as more and more patients continue to be hospitalised in the current Covid wave.
The district Health Department has decided to rope in medical students for multiple tasks such as collecting samples and treating Covid patients to address the issue.
It will allow regular doctors, who are working with huge work pressure, to focus on providing critical care.
Work pressure
A senior doctor at the Civil Hospital had recently told Chandigarh Tribune: “With the addition of more Covid beds, it is getting tough for the staff to attend to the patients. A maximum of 126 Covid patients were admitted to the Civil Hospital in the first wave. The number is almost double now.
Oxygen beds raised to 400
As the demand for beds continues to rise, the number of oxygen beds has been increased to nearly 400.
However, the availability of life-saving devices such as ventilators and BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) machines remains a major challenge. “An isolation ward of 28 oxygen beds had been recently set up at the Community Health Centre in Raipur Rani. We will shift patients there soon. We are also working to create a similar facility in Kalka,” said Civil Surgeon Dr Jasjeet Kaur.
Life-saving machines
“We will requisition BiPAP machines and ventilators which are lying spare at private hospitals to meet the expected shortfall,” she said.
