CHANDIGARH: VP Badnore, the administrator of the
Union Territory of Chandigarh, on Tuesday directed public hospitals to enhance bed capacity for coronavirus patients.
Badnore also asked health officials to conduct RT-PCT tests on time in order to prevent the infection from spreading further.
PGI director proffessor Jagat Ram said they have 223 Covid-19 patients in hospital's Nehru Extension Block, of which 58 belong to Chandigarh, 92 to Punjab, 39 to Haryana, 17 to Himachal Pradesh and eight from other states.
Jagat Ram said that they had tested 8,775 Covid-19 samples, of which 1,092 were found positive. Thus, the positivity rate was 12%.
The Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector-32, (GMCH) has 158 beds full out of 165 dedicated for the Covid-19 patients. All the 10 ICU beds in the Government Multi Speciality Hospital in Sector-16 are also full.
“As over 400 cases are being reported since the last two days from the city, we expect the beds to be completely full for another week. PGI cannot expand its services beyond 300 beds as there is manpower limitation,” said a faculty in PGI.
Badnore directed the health department to intensify screening and testing.
He ordered placing the mobile vans in crowded places like temples and gurudwara during Navrati, so that visitors could be screened and symptomatic could be tested immediately.
During the first wave of infection in September last year, the hospitals were all full with Covid patients and beds were increased in Sood Dharamshala and Dhanwantry College.
“Sector 48 hospital was set up for Covid patients only and is under the GMCH 32. Most manpower from the GMCH 32 can be send to this set up and the beds can be increased as and when required,” said an official in the
UT health department.