Pvt hospitals to reserve 25% beds for Covid patients
CITY’S RECOVERY RATE HAS BEEN DECLINING WHILE GROWTH RATE HAS BEEN ON THE RISE, WHICH INDICATES MORE BEDS WILL BE REQUIRED
CHANDIGARH: In wake of the sharp fall in the city’s Covid-19 recovery rate and rise in growth rate, the UT administration on Wednesday directed private hospitals in the city to reserve 25% of their beds for Covid patients.
The recovery rate in the city is around 56%, which is much below the national average of 73%. At the same time, the growth rate is hovering at more than 5%. Both, these parameters indicate that patients requiring hospitalisation is increasing rapidly, consequently, the need for beds.
An order for tapping into the city’s private hospital bed capacity was issued by UT principal health secretary Arun Gupta on Wednesday, wherein the administration also capped the treatment rates.
The charges will be borne by the patients willing to avail the facility at these private hospitals.
Last week, Punjab governor and UT administrator VP Singh Badnore had directed Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) to extend their bed capacities for Covid patients by 100 beds each.
RS Bedi, former president of Chandigarh IMA, said, “Private sector is taking the load of noncovid patients, which is equally important. The process of reserving beds for Covid patients has been initiated in private hospitals in consultation with health authorities.”
OTHER MEASURES
Badnore on Wednesday directed the UT health department and MC to ensure that the vendors in markets are tested through Rapid Antigen Method, so that they do not become super spreaders in the community.
The administrator also directed PGIMER to create plasma bank and to study whether the Covid patients are suffering from any side effects after treatment and recovery.
UT administration on Wednesday also directed Dharam Hospital, Sector 15C, and Rahi Care Dialysis, Sector 22C, to reserve two dialysis machines each for Covid-19 Patients. These hospitals/facilities can charge up to ₹800 over and above the normal charges from Covid-19 patients.