NAGPUR: The number of Covid-19 patients has gone down significantly in the first two weeks of October leaving many
Covid beds in private hospitals vacant.
Till October 17, more than 60% of
beds available in private hospitals were vacant in Nagpur. But, bound by government rules, these hospitals cannot admit non-Covid patients. According to NMC and health officials, non-Covid-19 patients cannot be permitted to use Covid beds without a proper administrative order.
Hospitals are already facing a financial crisis. They have demanded admission and treatment of non-Covid patients. Patients on the other hand are finding it difficult to get beds in hospitals of their choice or hospitals empanelled by their department or those attached to insurance companies.
“We were told to shift my father to a multispeciality hospital as his ailment could not be treated in the railway hospital. But it took almost one and a half days for us to get admission in the hospital of our choice,” said Swapnil Bhagat, a resident of Manewada.
Non-Covid illnesses are on the rise.
According to records of government medical college and hospital (GMCH), 13,335 patients have already reported to the non-Covid out patient department (OPD) in the first 15 days of October. More than 1200 of them are admitted in the in-patient department (IPD). Leading private hospitals have also reported a rise in visits of non-Covid patients.
“Private hospitals developed all the Covid-19 facilities within the deadline given by the NMC and are now serving Covid patients. The number of patients has reduced. So, the authorities should allow hospitals to use these beds for non-Covid patients,” said Dr Anup Marar, convener of Vidarbha Hospitals’ Association (VHA).
According to Dr Marar, hospitals have to pay increased salaries and incentives to staff working in Covid-19 wards. The daily maintenance expenditure for a 30-bed Covid-19 facility is nearly Rs5 lakh. At least 45 hospitals in the city have 30 or more beds reserved for Covid-19 patients.
According to NMC officials, beds in private hospitals must remain reserved for Covid-19 patients as the upcoming festive season may bring in more cases. “Covid-19 has not gone. Reducing Covid-19 beds or closing down Covid hospitals won’t be a wise thing to do at this point in time. We will abide by whatever decision the state government takes,” said assistant municipal commissioner Jalaj Sharma. Meanwhile, hospitals are ready to make changes and re-arrange Covid-19 beds whenever the situation arises.