Bokaro: In addition to sending to three tankers of oxygen cylinders, the Bokaro district health department has also sent five ventilator beds to Ranchi after the Covid-19 situation turned alarming at the state capital.
District civil surgeon Dr A K Pathak said, "Five ventilator beds have been sent to Ranchi on the direction of state government.”
The move sending of ventilator beds, however, is criticised by residents and political leaders, including local BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan, as Bokaro is among the three severely hit districts of the state.
Criticising the district administration's move, Narayan said Bokaro has not been utilising the beds to treat patients from the district. He has also written to DC Rajesh Singh for effective utilisation of beds.
He said, "It is very painful that the district health department is sending the ventilator beds when Covid patients in Bokaro are searching for beds and other facilities."
Department sources said since the start of the pandemic in the state last year, the state government had sent 25 ventilator beds to the Bokaro sadar hospital. The beds are bought with the PMCares fund to be used in ICUs and ICCUs of the hospital and provide at least one each to the community health centres at the block level.
Nine months back, a 10-bed ICU was inaugurated but became functional on Thursday this week when the state government asked to return the unutilised beds. Another 10 beds were donated to the Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) which already has about 15 such beds. The remaining five beds were set up at the ANM Covid care centre where asymptomatic are treated.
It practically meant that the ventilators beds are not utilised as government-run hospitals refer serious patients to BGH.
Even after the ICU at the sadar hospital becomes functional two days ago, the doctors at the hospital said the unit will not be used for Covid patients.
The hospital's deputy superintendent, Dr Renu Bharti, said the ICU will be utilized only for general patients.
Even after ICU of Sadar Hospital becomes functional two days ago, the doctors in Sadar Hospitals has claimed that it will not be used for Covid patients. There will be no corona patients admitted in ICU of Sadar Hospital, said Renu Bharti, deputy superintendent of Sadar Hospital, she added that this ICU will be for general patients. Sources said that there is no surgery department even the medicine department is not getting much serious patients in Sadar Hospital. In past two days span since ICU become functional in Sadar Hospital only a single patients has been treated.