Rims sets up 327 oxygen beds at multi-level parking lot

Ranchi: In a first in Jharkhand, Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (Rims) made operational a Covid-19 ward with 327 oxygen supported beds at its newly built multi-level parking facility on the campus. Another ward with of 128 oxygen beds was inaugurated at the Rims’ old building and a 73-bed Covid ICU facility was commissioned at the hospital’s oncology wing. The three new facilities became functional on Thursday.
“I had an opportunity to visit these facilities while they were being built. The Rims management and the agencies concerned have done a great job. To set up such facilities within 12-15 days is no mean feat,” chief minister Hemant Soren said after virtually inaugurating the facilities from his home in Kanke Road. The parking lot was inaugurated in late 2019, but was lying unused.
With the new facilities, the total bed capacity at Rims for Covid 19 patients increased to 1,191. “The number of beds is much higher than what we had during the first wave last year. We are hopeful to add another 108 oxygen beds with the help of NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) very soon. Our endeavor is to see that no patient is turned back because shortage of beds,” Rims director Dr Kameshwar Prasad said.
Notably, Rims had 260 Covid beds during the first wave of the pandemic last year. On April 19, the number was increased to 663. “After Thursday’s inauguration, we will have around 850 oxygen beds and 250 beds equipped with ventilators,” Prasad added.
Health minister Banna Gupta said the parking lot was zeroed for setting up a Covid facility as it was lying unused since its inauguration. The facility will be provided oxygen cylinders while the other two facilities will receive oxygen from the hospital’s central supply line.
Jharkhand had a little over 10,000 Covid beds in the beginning of May statewide. Of them, nearly 6,000 are oxygen supported. While 220 oxygen supported beds were inaugurated by Soren in Koderma on Wednesday, another 500-bed facility at Itki Sanitorium is in the pipeline. On Wednesday, Jharkhand high court asked the state to to set up 300 oxygen supported beds at Ranchi Sadar hospital within 10 days. “We will increase beds in keeping with the growing demands,” Soren said.