CHENNAI: Waiting for allotment of an independent room or admission to a specific hospital can delay treatment and increase risk of morbidity and mortality, doctors and health department officials said here on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, when the city had about 18,673 active patients, there was an increase in admissions to hospitals – both public and private.
Many private hospitals reported “no vacancy” in oxygen beds, ICUs and ventilators.
Of the 114 private hospitals treating Covid-19 cases, 47 updated on the state Covid webpage that all their ventilators were occupied, 54 said there were no ICU beds and 41 said they did not have oxygen beds.
But, several hospitals including self-financing medical college hospitals had zero admissions.
“Many people ask for independent rooms. They refuse to even use twin sharing facilities,” said a senior administrator of a private hospital.
“We don’t have that many rooms for Covid patients. It is also for patients to opt for wards because we can post nurses there for continuous monitoring,” he added.
Even in case of government hospitals most patients were reporting directly either to Government Covid Hospital at The King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research in Guindy or to
Government Multispecialty Hospital at Omandurar.
On Tuesday, 479 of 525 beds at the Guindy hospital were occupied.
“More than 120 people are on high-flow oxygen and about 15 people are on ventilators. We have set aside 15 beds in the emergency ward to triage patients. We tell some of them to go to the KK Nagar peripheral hospital or a NGIT hostel. But many don’t want to,” said director Dr Narayanasamy.
At times, patients argue, seek recommendation from senior government officials, businessmen or politicians. At Omandurar, 322 of 575 beds were occupied.
At the premier
Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, a tertiary care institution, 1,125 beds were vacant. More than 1,000 beds were vacant at
Stanley Medical College and Hospital.
“Many patients come to us when they can’t wait anymore. By then, they are extremely sick, require higher levels of oxygen, more aggressive medications and longer stay,” said RGGH dean Dr Theranirajan.
Doctors say deaths are higher among the elderly and people with uncontrolled diabetes or blood pressure.
“We may not have independent rooms for everyone, but it's unfair to expect that in times of pandemic. We offer quality care at no cost,” said Dr Theranirajan.