CHENNAI: As more cases continue to pour in, beds in COVID-19 treatment wards at the Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital are full. As on Thursday, there are 200 patients admitted there. A total of 1,130 beds have been allotted for COVID-19 across medical college hospitals in the city. While there are only 692 active cases in the city, many from Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram are being referred here as these districts lack medical colleges and infrastructure in headquarters hospitals.   

The Chengalpattu medical college treats patients. But again, there aren’t many ventilators or infrastructure here to handle all cases. So a majority are being referred to Chennai, said doctors. On Thursday, KMC management requested the control room and the city corporation not to refer any more cases there, until further arrangements are made. “We have 200 beds for positive patients and 104 for suspected cases and SARI,” a senior doctor said.    

“We can accommodate more once the patients currently admitted are discharged. Despite the crunch, 30 new patients were admitted on Thursday. These were people who directly approached the hospital. The management vacated some beds by shifting patients whose first swab test turned negative to a step-down facility. Till the management makes alternative arrangements, we may have to struggle like this,” the doctor added.    

The Stanley Hospital has 200 beds of which 157 are currently occupied. “The hospital comes under Royapuram zone, where maximum number of cases from Chennai are reported. Currently we still have a few more beds, but we are making arrangements in a separate building in the hospital campus to accommodate more,” said a senior doctor at Stanley.