Kin struggle to find ventilator for critical patients in the city
Naina Mishra
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 23
As more Covid patients are turning critical in the UT, their kin are always on the move in search of a ventilator in the tricity region.
Three die, record 828 test positive in Chandigarh
Chandigarh: The single-day spike in Covid cases in the city saw a new high with 828 contracting the virus on Friday. Three persons died of the infection. There are 4,622 active cases, a rise of 36 per cent since the month began. The active case ratio has risen to 12.4 per cent. In the past week, the new infection count grew by an average 1.7 per cent every day. TNS
5 deaths, 920 cases in Mohali district
Mohali: The district saw five deaths and 920 fresh Covid cases on Friday. Besides, 484 patients were cured. Among the new cases, 316 were reported from Mohali (urban), 17 from Kurali, 20 from Lalru, 25 from Boothgarh, 39 from Gharuan, 69 from Dera Bassi, 95 from Kharar and 339 from the Dhakoli area in Zirakpur. TNS
3 deaths, 453 cases in Panchkula
Panchkula: The district on Friday recorded three deaths and 453 fresh coronavirus cases. Those who died were a 75-year-old man from Bhogpur, a 71-year-old man from Tagra Kali Ram and a 54-year-old woman from Charnia. While the active caseload reached 2,629, the death toll stands at 180.
Over 3,600 vaccinated
- As many as 3,628 people were vaccinated on Friday at 31 sites.
Prateek Rishi, a city resident, said, “We have been trying to get a ventilator for a Covid patient, who is admitted to the GMSH-16, since afternoon. Frantic calls were made to all government hospital in the tricity, including the hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, and the GMCH-32, but no ventilator was available. Private hospitals claim that all ventilator beds are occupied. This is happening across the tricity. In the confusion of oxygen and remdesivir, I think we are missing on the dire need for ventilators.”
Two government hospitals — the GMSH-16 and the PGI — are already short of ventilators for Covid-19 patients. While the PGI has 56 ICU beds, including ventilators, for Covid patients, UT Adviser Manoj Parida has requested the Central government to increase the capacity of ICU beds dedicated to Covid-19 patients at the institute. The PGI has also sought 20 ventilators from the Central government.
Of the total 110 ICU beds in the city, only 20 were vacant today. The occupancy of ICU beds has reached 82 per cent.
Dr Hardeep Singh Santokh, Santokh Hospital, Sector 38, said, “We are having around 20 Covid beds, including those in the ICU, but none of these is vacant now. The bed availability is very fluid. We are trying our best to accommodate the sick on a priority basis.”
Dr Jasbinder Kaur, Director, GMCH-32, said, “We had increased ventilators from 17 to 48 last year. Now, we have raised a demand for 10 more ventilators. The situation is always dynamic and we keep managing patients making the best use of our resources. We will increase the number of Covid-19 beds to 300.”
UT Adviser, Manoj Parida said, “We can manage with ICU beds for some time, if we are not choked by patients coming from outside the city.
We are trying to improve the infrastructure but manpower shortage remains a challenge.”
160 remdesivir doses left
Only 160 doses of remdesivir are left with the UT Health Department, while city distributors do not have any stock of the drug. On the shortage, Dr Amandeep Kaur Kang, Director, Health Services, UT, said they had placed an order for 5,000 doses, which was expected to arrive soon. “We have told private hospitals not to prescribe remdesivir mindlessly, as it is still an investigational drug,” she said. She added that private hospitals could contact the UT Drug Controller to know the availability of the drug.
‘Sufficient oxygen supply’
Dr Kang said, “At present, Chandigarh has sufficient supply of oxygen. We also held a meeting with private hospitals and assured them oxygen supplies in case of crisis.”
