Telangana hospitals may soon run out of COVID beds 

HYDERABAD:  The number of active Covid-19 cases in Telangana has risen to 23,379, which is roughly a three per cent increase from the previous week. This is one of the highest numbers of active cases the State has ever seen and all 33 districts have contributed to the trend.

This is worrisome as Telangana has one of the highest hospitalisation rates in the country. On Saturday, the number of hospitalised cases rose to 7,158 as compared to Friday when it was 6,999, which is an increase by 159 in a single day. This pattern has been continuing all week — as on Thursday, 6,815 patients were admitted to hospitals.

The rapid increase in hospitalisation is also reflecting on the increase in bed utilisation in the districts. An analysis by the Centre for Covid Monitoring by FICCI and ASCI has found that the ICU beds are 100 per cent utilised in Gadwal and 84 per cent in Warangal Urban. In Bhadradri-Kothagudem and the GHMC area, it is occupied by 67 per cent and 60 per cent respectively. 

In terms of oxygen beds, the situation is no better with 100 per cent beds utilised in Gadwal, 83 in Mahbubnagar, 66 in Nizamabad and 65 in Rangareddy. Regular isolation beds are nearly full in Wanaparthy, Rajanna-Sircilla, Nagarkurnool and Siddipet by 83 per cent. 

ICU beds  also in high demand

In fact, the overall demand for ICU beds has also increased, according to the analysis. Between August 10 and August 13, bed utilisation shot up in ICU from about 17 per cent to nearly 30 per cent. On August 10, 1,068 patients were in ICU and this jumped to 1,260 on August 13. According to the August 15 bulletin, 1,364 patients were in ICU. This analysis highlights the urgent need to increase the bed capacity for oxygen and ICU urgently as they are rapidly filling up.