Surat has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases in the state after Ahmedabad. (Representational)
WITH THE spike in the number of Covid-19 cases, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 37 private hospitals in Surat, wherein facility of extra 2,000 beds will be made ready to treat Covid-19 patients referred by the civic body and the New Civil Hospital. The treatment cost for patients referred to these hospitals will be borne by the state government and the civic body.
Surat, presently, has 3000 beds to treat Covid-19 patients in SMIMER hospital, Samras Centre, New Civil Hospital, and 10 private hospitals. The Covid-19 tests are conducted in the NCH, SMIMER hospital and four private labs in Surat city. Keeping in mind the rise in number of positive cases and to meet the future needs, the SMC has asked 37 private hospitals to keep fifty per cent of their hospital beds reserved for those patients referred by the civic and body and NCH to treat Covid-19 patients.
SMC commissioner B N Pani said, “In these private hospitals, entire treatment will be given free to those patients referred by SMC or NCH, and medical expenses will be borne by the SMC and state government. If a patient directly goes to the hospital and get himself admitted, he has to bear the medical expenses. In these 37 private hospital, we will have facility of 2,000 beds ready to meet the future needs and if required, we will increase the number of beds.”
Under the tag line of “early treatment at door steps”, the SMC has also started 105 dhanvantri raths (mobile medical van), which roam in the city and give treatment to the patients suffering from normal cold, cough and fever at their homes.
“We have started 105 dhanvantri raths, which comprises doctors and medical staffers carrying medicines. The aim behind it is to give treatment at door steps to patients suffering from cold, cough and fever. We have found that many patients suffering from normal cold, cough and fever do not get admitted in the hospitals, and hide their illness. They use home remedies for such illness. We have also started fever helpline number 104, for patients suffering from such illnesses for early treatment.
Surat has the second highest number of Covid-19 cases in the state after Ahmedabad. On Thursday evening, 153 more positive cases were reported taking the district tally to 3,836. With three more patients succumbing to the infection, the death toll has reached 149.
Among 153 new cases, 52 patients are from Katargam zone, which has reported the most number of cases — 960 — followed by Limbayat zone which has 913 cases. On Thursday, 102 patients were discharged from the hospital after they were fully recovered. With this a total of 2,432 people have been fully recovered and discharged from hospitals in Surat till date. At the New Civil Hospital, 263 patients are on oxygen support, 33 on BiPap and 15 on ventilator support.