Karnataka: No takers for beds in Covid Care Centres

BENGALURU: Although there are very few takers for these beds, the state government and many private organisations are busy setting up Covid Care Centres (CCC) across the state. CCCs are meant for mild or asymptomatic patients and the aim is to reduce the burden on hospitals.
Health department officials say CCCs with a total 10,000 beds have been set up across the state over the past two weeks, but very few have oxygenated beds. As a result, less than 30% of beds across CCCs are occupied. In Bengaluru alone, there are around 2,500 beds in about 30 CCCs, including 500 oxygenated beds. In all, only 750 beds are occupied.
A staffer at a CCCs at a government maternity home in Bengaluru said people prefer home isolation to CCCs. The fear of being separated from family is a contributing factor and many patients feel it is safer to admit patients in a hospital than CCC since patients are assured of treatment in a hospital if their condition suddenly deteriorates.
“On Monday, a patient whose platelet count was dropping was referred to our CCC which has an oxygenated bed. The hospital which referred the patient had no beds available. But family members refused to admit the patient in the CCC,” said a manager of CCC in Dharwad.
Even during the first Covid-19 wave last year, the government had opened a 10,000-bed centre at Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre. But through the year, not even 10% of beds were occupied. Moreover, by the time the government opened what was described as the country’s biggest CCC, the Covid curve was flattened, forcing the government to shut it down.
Many health experts say instead of opening CCCs and wasting funds, the government should focus on increasing oxygenated beds and roping in more doctors and nursing staff. It must also evolve a mechanism where patients with mild symptoms are treated at home and only the very ill are shifted to hospitals.
“By doing so we can reduce the burden on hospitals. The government must also focus on creating more ICU beds which is the need of the hour,” said a doctor at Ballari district hospital.
The state ministerial task force headed by deputy chief minister Ashwath Narayana said the demand in Bengaluru city was for about 7,000 beds daily. “To put a check on those who get unnecessarily hospitalised, triaging of these bed-seekers will be done in 60 lakh level-one centres and level-two centres.” Officials say level-one centres include maternity homes and medical colleges and CCCs, while public healthcare centres have been identified as leveltwo. Narayan said the number of beds required daily might reduce further with effective triaging.