Ernakulam ramps up treatment facilities amid Covid surge

KOCHI: The district has taken measures to upgrade its infrastructure for Covid treatment. Over 2,000 beds have been set up for treating patients. District collector S Suhas said in the past 48 hours, eight Covid care centres, including Covid First-line Treatment Centres (CFLTC) and Domiciliary Care Centres (DCC), were made operational.

In various regions, 1,535 Covid beds have been set up of which 907 are in use. As many as 152 patients are being treated at DCCs. To treat Category B patients (mild symptoms including fever and cough), 417 beds have been arranged at Second-line Treatment Centres. As many as 639 beds in nine government hospitals have been set up for treating serious Covid cases.  

“Six DCCs are functional in the district - in Puthencruz, Palluruthy, Edakochi, Chottanikara, Kaloor and Thirumaradi,” Suhas said.  Private hospitals have nearly 3,000 oxygen beds, he said. “As of now, 1,094 beds are occupied in private hospitals. We are looking at bringing in 44 major hospitals and have 11 Covid centres with oxygen support,” he said.  “There are 639 oxygen beds in government facilities, which would be increased to 1,000 in two days. ICUs will be upgraded and 40 new ones will be set up in 48 hours.

Only emergency surgeries will take place in government hospitals,” he said. He said public sector undertakings, including BPCL and FACT, had helped in setting up oxygen plants at Covid hospitals.  Over 1 lakh tests were done in seven days in the district, including in regions with high TPR, he said. “We covered all vulnerable regions and could bring down TPR in some regions,” he said.

ONE MORE SHIGELLA CASE REPORTED, SIX SO FAR THIS YEAR
Kochi: With one more case, the number of shigella cases reported in the district so far this year rose to six in the district. Health officials said the latest case is from Kombara at Edathala. “A nine-year-old boy is the patient. He was admitted to Kalamassery MCH after exhibiting symptoms like vomiting, fever and dysentery. He is fine,” said an official. Shigella was confirmed in tests conducted on April 19. The boy went to Chennai on a family trip and may have been infected from the food he had while travelling, said officials.