NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation and district administrations are emphasizing on early hospitalization to prevent deterioration of Covid infection but both seem to be not doing enough to help citizens find a bed.
Patients and relatives have been left on their own to scramble for beds which they get only after frantic calls and social media posts hoping to catch the attention of friends and acquaintances.
Those who finally get hospitalization say they were fortunate to get admission against discharge of another patient in private hospitals. These aggrieved citizens also did not get any help from medical colleges who are turning away many Covid patients.
Private hospitals said they are accommodating patients on stretchers and stopped allotting private rooms for individual stay.
Some private hospitals added more beds in their ICUs which were occupied within minutes on Monday night and Tuesday morning. Each major private hospital has put up a wait list of at least 20 to 25 patients.
Amid this, some hospitals sought ventilators as their equipment fell short.
On Tuesday, the NMC showed 388 O2 beds, 100 ICU and 56 ventilators vacant in private hospitals. The vacancy in government and civic hospitals was 195 O2, 67 ICU and 94 ventilators. Most of the ICU and ventilator bed are available in medical colleges, which have claimed manpower short to run them.
But some private hospitals said as some of their patients tested positive they were now asked to start Covid treatment and not refuse anyone. There were no ICU and ventilator beds available in big hospitals.
Vidarbha Hospital Association (VHA) convenor Dr Anup Marar said patients are getting admissions only if another patients is getting cured and discharged. “Unlike previous wave, patient in genuine need of hospitalization are coming. 50% of them need 14 or more days stay. Every day, 10% discharge take places but it is filled up within an hour as many are waiting in casualty to get in,” he said.
Dr Marar added that procedural delay from insurance providers is eating up precious time of hospitals and patients. “As a stakeholder in this Covid war, insurance companies must fast-track the process. If we inform them around 10am, the patient gets clearance only at 6pm while others keep waiting. We can’t let a patient go without their approval. Handling cashless is becoming a headache,’ he said, adding that all details are available online yet the insurers are following time consuming process.
Regarding equipment, Dr Marar said private hospitals are compelled to shift a patient when their resources are exhausted. “VHA has sought multi-colour para monitors and ventilators which may be not in use at government facilities. We can add more Covid CCU beds if we get this help,” he said.
Additional municipal commissioner Jalaj Sharma said the NMC has approached the divisional commissioner and the deputy director of health services to see if private hospitals can be given some ventilators. “There is no policy but it was done earlier too on the divisional commissioner’s approval,” he said.
Regarding beds, Sharma said in the last two days NMC has added 225 beds. “We are adding more and a zone-wise list has been provided to our helpline. People can call them a get a bed,” he said.
In a late night development, the Nagpur bench of HC allowed GMCH to use the hospital basement to run 90-beds for Covid patients. The HC had ordered basement ward had to be shut in August last year after water leakage due to incessant rains. The GMCH, in its application in a sou motu PIL based on a 2020 TOI report, requested the court to modify its order dated Sept 29, 2020 and permit the respondent to utilize the 90 beds in the basement. The hearing was held at 10.15pm as around 50 -60 patients were waiting outside GMCH wards for admission.