Asarwa: Five important things Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister of Gujarat Nitin Patel said during press briefing cum interaction at Asarwa medicity campus here today:

Beds added at Asarwa medicity facility:

Patel said 160 new covid beds are created at UN Mehta heart hospital in just seven days. The facility included oxygen and ventilator attached beds. 40 beds are added in each floor. Ambulances carrying new covid patients at civil hospital are being diverted to UN Mehta heart hospital so that 160 patients can be admitted here. Kidney hospital at Manjushri mills compound has also added 80 additional beds and opened admissions for new covid patients. The cancer hospital in Asarwa campus will create 30 more beds by evening tomorrow. The government is in process to set up a full fledged covid hospitals with 900 beds at GMDC ground based Gujarat University Convention Centre and Exhibition hall.

1200-bed main hospital is full to its capacity:

Patel said, a dedicated 1200-bed main hospital in Asarwa civil campus is now full to its capacity and there’s no vacancy there, till some beds are vacated by recovered patients. During a 24-period starting from yesterday, as many as 399 covid patients have been admitted in a 1200-bed Asarwa campus. Some patients were sent to Kidney hospital, Cancer hospital and Manjushri mills based Kidney hospital. No taluka of Gujarat has left unimpacted from the second wave of Covid. There’s lack of space in hospitals for patients. The number of patients is bigger than the capacity. We are therefore trying to increase oxygen beds, ICU beds, covid care centres, whatever possible. The patients and their relatives should opt for hospitalization only if oxygen level goes down below 95, otherwise they should take home-care, using Sanjivani service. One should insist for hospitalization only if it is very important, so that beds can be availed to serious patients who are actually in need. Even after all beds are full in Asarwa hospital, 300-400 calls are in waiting.

Long queues of ambulances are for reason:

Our 108 emergency ambulance service has oxygen supply facility. So until the patients are put on oxygen attached bed, they are not taken out of ambulance as they require oxygen which is available inside the ambulance. So if a patient stays in ambulance by the time bed is vacated and made available and a patient is admitted, he/she continues to get oxygen supply and his/her treatment continues. A pictures of long queues are shown on TV and in print media and particular image is created, but reality is this. The pictures of queue don’t look good for us, but it is our compulsion. Dilip Rana, an IAS officer, has been appointed as coordinator for taking decision on which patient should be sent where. He looks after that. We receive complains that patients go to various hospital but are denied admission. However the Civil hospital is their ultimate option and it is State government’s responsibility to employ possible best efforts for admission of patients. The other hospitals can decide on which patient to admit depending on his/her area, condition and all, but we admit all in public hospitals.

Many folds burden on 108 emergency ambulance service:

108 emergency service would get 6,000 to 8,000 daily calls regularly, however there has been recently many folds increase in calls due to covid19 pandemic situation. More lines are increased and 132 operators are now taking emergency calls, the load is doubled as routine calls of issues other than covid continue to come, but then there are also covid related calls. Many people dial repeatedly for follow up and therefore lines also stay busy. And therefore one in need faces difficulty.

The second phase of pandemic is different:

While the first phase of pandemic had relatively normal patients, who would not require oxygen and recover in normal environment, in the second phase of pandemic at present, lungs are directly impacted. Most patients come with breathing trouble with oxygen level below 90 and therefore they need oxygen attached beds, that we are trying to increase. A 1200-bed main hospital in Asarwa Medicity campus consumes over 50 tonne oxygen daily, while UN Mehta, Manjushri Kidney and Cancer hospitals utilize 10 to 15 tonne oxygen daiy. Thanks to our advance rollout and preparations for oxygen tank erecting and supply, there has been no issue in Medicity campus so far on this front. We have sufficient injections and ventilators also available in Medicity campus.

DeshGujarat