MUMBAI: For the first time in the past couple of months, some of the major hospitals treating critical Covid-19 patients in the city are left with vacant beds. A few others have a reduced waiting time. As there has been no decline in new infections, civic officials say the change is the result of an increasing number of Covid-19 patients opting for home isolation.
Till 2.30pm on Friday, the city had 27,634 active cases, but only 12,303 of 18,380 hospital beds were occupied, which means 55% of the patients were undergoing treatment at home.
Another indicator of a marginal decline in admissions in critical cases has been the decrease in occupancy of ICU beds. The occupancy rate, which was 99% through April and May, has come down to 93%. On Friday evening, 95 of the 1,278 ICU beds in the city were vacant.
At KEM Hospital, which has a 490-bed Covid-19 facility for critical patients, daily admissions have dropped to 35 to 40 in the past week from 70 to 80.
KEM dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh said they had at least 14 vacant beds to spare on Friday. Not long ago, in April and May, social media used to be flooded with images of patients being administered treatment while sitting on the floor or a wheelchair.
“We don't know the reason for the decline in admissions. It’s possible that with the activation of ward-level war rooms, patients are distributed better,” Deshmukh said.
A similar trend has been seen in Nair Hospital, a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, where daily admissions have come down to 50 to 60. “It used to go up to 90 till about 10 days ago,” Nair dean Dr Mohan Joshi said.
Doctors said the trend was visible at some private hospitals too.
“Beds have been available at Breach Candy and Bhatia hospitals for the past four to five days. We believe with the panic on the wane and doctors gaining more confidence to treat patients at home, beds have started to open up. While positive cases continue to be there, physicians feel there has been a shift in virulence with fewer people becoming critical [in the past fortnight],” Dr Hemant Thacker, who consults at south Mumbai hospitals, said.
Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said more patients were opting for home care. “Increasing number of people in the high-rises are opting to stay at home and take treatment. The rush to get admitted has definitely reduced,” he said.
Kakani said doctors from the ward-level war rooms followed up with patients who were under home isolation. Many of the patients also consult their own doctors.
The city currently has 961 critical patients.
Till 2.30pm on Friday, the city had 27,634 active cases, but only 12,303 of 18,380 hospital beds were occupied, which means 55% of the patients were undergoing treatment at home.
Another indicator of a marginal decline in admissions in critical cases has been the decrease in occupancy of ICU beds. The occupancy rate, which was 99% through April and May, has come down to 93%. On Friday evening, 95 of the 1,278 ICU beds in the city were vacant.
At KEM Hospital, which has a 490-bed Covid-19 facility for critical patients, daily admissions have dropped to 35 to 40 in the past week from 70 to 80.
KEM dean Dr Hemant Deshmukh said they had at least 14 vacant beds to spare on Friday. Not long ago, in April and May, social media used to be flooded with images of patients being administered treatment while sitting on the floor or a wheelchair.
“We don't know the reason for the decline in admissions. It’s possible that with the activation of ward-level war rooms, patients are distributed better,” Deshmukh said.
A similar trend has been seen in Nair Hospital, a dedicated Covid-19 hospital, where daily admissions have come down to 50 to 60. “It used to go up to 90 till about 10 days ago,” Nair dean Dr Mohan Joshi said.
Doctors said the trend was visible at some private hospitals too.
“Beds have been available at Breach Candy and Bhatia hospitals for the past four to five days. We believe with the panic on the wane and doctors gaining more confidence to treat patients at home, beds have started to open up. While positive cases continue to be there, physicians feel there has been a shift in virulence with fewer people becoming critical [in the past fortnight],” Dr Hemant Thacker, who consults at south Mumbai hospitals, said.
Additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said more patients were opting for home care. “Increasing number of people in the high-rises are opting to stay at home and take treatment. The rush to get admitted has definitely reduced,” he said.
Kakani said doctors from the ward-level war rooms followed up with patients who were under home isolation. Many of the patients also consult their own doctors.
The city currently has 961 critical patients.
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