Panchkula runs out of ICU beds

Amit Bathla

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 23

All dedicated Covid-19 hospitals in the district — the Civil Hospital, Alchemist Hospital, Ojas Hospital and Paras Hospital — have run out of beds in their intensive care units (ICUs).

While all 50 ICU beds, including 20 with ventilator support, are occupied, just 66 oxygen beds (other than the ICU) are vacant in the district.

To isolate those with mild symptoms, 32 non-oxygen beds are available at BRS Dental College in Barwala (Covid care centre).

Dr Jasjeet Kaur, Civil Surgeon, said the healthcare system was under immense pressure due to the unprecedented and unexpected rise in the active caseload.

More oxygen beds were being added to the Covid-19 hospitals to deal with the prevailing situation, she said.

A senior doctor on Covid duty at the Civil Hospital said:

It is not a comfortable situation. The sickness is severe in the current wave. We had seen a maximum of 126 Covid admissions to the Civil Hospital during the previous wave. That number is about to touch 160 this time and it is expected to get only worse.’’

According to the Health Department, of the 2,629 active cases, over 90 per cent are under home isolation.

What private hospitals say

According to a senior official at Alchemist Hospital, they were running at full capacity and finding it difficult to cope with the need for beds.

The hospital has 35 oxygen beds (other than the ICU) and 10 ICU beds.

“Every day, we receive a lot of calls about the availability of beds on the customer care helpline. Unfortunately, we have to deny them,” he said.

Shortage of antiviral drugs

There was no shortage of oxygen supply to treat critical Covid patients at the hospital, said the official, quoting their daily consumption at 1.5 tonnes.

He, however, added that their hospital had been facing difficulty in procuring remdesivir and other antiviral drugs.