Pimpri: PCMC says 1,400 oxygen beds available for Covid patients; hospitals face shortage of ventilator beds
In a sharp contrast to April when COVID positive patients struggled to get oxygen beds, May is witnessing some easing of the situation with over 1,400 oxygen beds available in civic and private hospitals in Pimpri-Chinchwad. This is being attributed to the fall in active coronavirus cases. The situation, however, has not improved as far as ventilator beds are concerned.
PCMC Additional Health chief Dr Anil Roy said by 12 noon on Thursday, 1,404 oxygen beds were available in PCMC-run COVID hospitals and Covid Care Centres and private hospitals. “Of the 3,808 oxygen beds available in civic and private hospitals, 2404 are occupied by patients and as many as 1404 oxygen beds are vacant. The number keeps changing depending on the recovery of the patient each day as well as death of patients,” he said.
As for the ventilator beds, Dr Roy said the situation continues to be grim with only 10 ventilator beds available in private hospitals. “However, there are no ventilator beds available in civic hospitals like YCMH, Auto Cluster Covid hospital or Jumbo hospital,” he said. Officials said there are 104 vacant non-ventilator beds in intensive care units of various hospitals. Similarly, there are around 1300 beds without oxygen available in hospitals. In all, there are 135 COVID hospitals and 22 COVID Care Centres in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
PCMC additional health chief Dr Pavan Salve said in the past few days, the cases have not risen much as they were in March-April. “We had over 23,000 active cases last month. Now the cases have gone below 21,000,” mark,” he said. As per the health department, as on Wednesday evening, there were 5,990 patients in hospital and 14,930 patients in home-isolation.
Dr Rajendra Wable, dean, YCMH hospital, said they had 25 oxygen beds available but no ventilator bed was available. “Ventilators beds are rarely vacant. The condition of some patients who are on oxygen suddenly deteriorates, therefore we have to shift them to our ICU….there is a long queue of patients for ventilator beds in ICU,” he said.
Dr Harshal Pandve, who handles the triage section at YCM hospital, said, “As of 1 pm, there were 210 oxygen beds available in Auto Cluster Covid Hospital and Jumbo hospital. Of these, the Auto Cluster facility has 120 oxygen beds.” The doctors at triage section of YCM hospital recommend patients to either Auto Cluster hospital or Jumbo hospital. Patients cannot directly go and get admitted to these facilities.
