At the jumbo hospital, joint initiative of the PCMC, PMRDA and the district collectorate, doctors said they have 400 free beds but not a single oxygen bed was available.
(Express Photo By Pavan Khengre) The Civic-run YCM hospital in Pimpri has run out of beds and has been forced to provide oxygen support to patients in the triage area. In the absence of beds, patients being administered oxygen on chairs.
The YCMH has 400 beds in different wards. Till Saturday, not a single bed was available. Similarly, all 55 beds in the intensive care unit were occupied. A clutch of patients were put on oxygen support even as they tried to adjust on chairs available in the triage area of the hospital.
Dr Rajendra Wable, dean of YCMH, told The Indian Express, “There are no beds available as there is a constant demand from patients in PCMC limits as well outside.” He added that, as a result, patients who were feeling breathless were immediately put on oxygen support in the triage area. “We can’t help. Till such patients find a bed, we have to provide them with oxygen support. When a patient arrives in the triage area, we have to take a call on admitting the patient depending on the severity of illness. If a patient needs oxygen support and no bed is available, then we ensure that the patient does not suffer… We immediately ensure oxygen support.”
Dr Wable said if there were no beds available even after some time, an effort was made to accommodate patients in waiting at other civic-run facilites such as the jumbo hospital, Auto Cluster, Bhosari hospital, Jijama Hospital or Covid care centres.
At the jumbo hospital, doctors said 400 beds were available, but none of them was an oxygen bed. “We have 400 beds, but all 200 oxygen beds and 60 ICU beds are occupied. However, we have 100 beds in the high dependency unit (HDU),” said Dr Sangram Kapale, CEO of the 800-bed hospital.
Dr Kapale said there was a demand of 100 admissions daily. “We decide on admitting the patient depending upon the severity of the illness. If the patient has mild symptoms, we advise home isolation. If they require oxygen or ventilator support, we admit them or refer them to other facilities where beds are available,” he said.
He added that the capacity will be increased in a phased manner. “It is an 816-bed facility and will increase its capacity as admissions increase,” he said.
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The jumbo hospital is a joint initiative of PCMC, PMRDA and the district collectorate. A private contractor has been assigned to run the hospital. The PCMC monitors the overall functioning. It was first opened in September when cases reached a peak and was closed in January when cases started declining.
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