‘Waiting period for covid beds is back in Ahmedabad; if situation remains same not a single bed will be available next week’

Sabarmati: Dr. Mona Desai of Ahmeadbad Medical Association today said covid beds in private and government run hospitals are nearly full and waiting period for availability of beds has started again in the city of Ahmedabad.

She said beds attached with ventilators are not vacant and even oxygen attached beds are full. While beds in private and public hospitals are nearly full, there are three-four times more patients that are under treatment in home isolation mode.

She said, there are number of families in which all 3-4 members are infected. However infection in most cases is not serious in nature. Fever stays for four to five days in body and reduced oxygen saturation has also been seen among patients.

She said Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) run SVP hospital has also large number of patients. Civil hospital is also witnessing heavy rush due to patients from small centres and locations outside the city.

Dr. Desai said viral infection spread is more anyway in winter season. In addition to this we had Diwali festival with rush in market. Then the people venture out without wearing mask and maintaining social distancing.

She further said that if situation remains same, not a single bed will be available for covid patients next week.

Dr. Desai described this as third covid peak in the city ever since the outbreak in March this year. She said first peak was witnessed in July, the second was seen in August-September period. This is third peak.

Dr. Bharat Gadhvi who heads Ahmedabad Hospital and Nursing Home Association today said private hospital beds in the city are around 90 to 95 per cent occupied in present situation. He said beds are however available in government hospitals. Overall number of cases are increasing as general public has not maintained discipline during festival shopping and reached covid protocols, he said adding that there was a time when cases were reduced significantly and due to that, people went overconfident. Dr. Gadhvi said, mask, physical distancing and frequent hand wash are the vaccines available at present.

Gujarat Cancer Society hospital’s senior doctor said, ‘the situation post Diwali is very bed. Inflow of patients is worst in last six months. Incubation period of covid virus is in 4-10 days range. Current peak is due to Dussehra and Garba, but peak of Diwali is yet to be witnessed in the next 4-10 days period. We have 18 beds in covid ICU. 15 of them are on ventilator support. All of them are full. We have 146 oxygen beds and only 5 per cent are vacant. We have 222 isolation beds and 90 per cent are full.’