One-fourth of beds in state hospitals not occupied yet

77 OF A TOTAL OF 1,000 VENTILATORS AVAILABLE IN GOVT AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS IN USE, HEALTH DEPT DATA REVEALS

: Even as there was a hue and cry over the lack of availability of oxygen beds and ICU due to record rise in Covid-19 cases in Punjab, the state health department’s figures reveal that at least 25% of the beds in level- II and level-III categories in private and government hospitals are still not occupied.

Also, only 77 of a total of 1,000 ventilators available in government and private hospitals in the state are in use at present, it was found. While level-II beds have provision of oxygen (not in all cases), level-III facilities provide intensive care to critical patients with a severe infection.

“Though the patient influx has gone up in the past couple of days, we still have enough beds. Of a total of 1,500 level-3 beds in private hospitals with facilities of oxygen and ICU (catering to critical) patients, 900 are occupied. In government hospitals, 377 out of total of 545 such beds are in use,” said state Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.

Whereas of a total of 4,000 level-II beds, 900 are available in government facilities and nearly 2,000 in private hospitals, the figures reveal. Punjab Covid-19 task force head and former PGIMER director Dr KK Talwar said the state has adequate availability of beds for its residents but the sudden influx of patients coming from the national capital has increased load on health care facilities.

“Beds are hard to find only in certain hospitals. People were in a panic after what they saw in Delhi hospitals. We have also decided to increase our capacity keeping in mind the explosion of cases in the national capital,” said Talwar.

State may see 9,000 daily cases by May first week

A senior health department official said a new study by Christian Medical College (CMC) Ludhiana, has predicted that the state may witness the daily case count of 9,000 by the first week of May. On the basis predictions by some agencies, the department had earlier claimed that the state was likely to see its peak in the third week of April. Besides, the department has attached its specialists with medical colleges for the next 15 days keeping in view the increasing cases. These are from anesthesia, medicine and paediatrics..