Though Coimbatore district is witnessing a steady increase in COVID-19 cases, only around 10 % of patients are in hospitals while the remaining are in home isolation.
Coimbatore District Collector G.S. Sameeran said that the percentage of patients under care in hospitals was varying from 9% to 11% in the last few days. The average rate of hospitalisation was around 10 %, he said.
In the 10 %, only a few percent of patients were oxygen dependent and others were in hospitals due to comorbidity, he said.
There were 15,926 active cases in Coimbatore district as of Thursday.
According to Health Department officials, tertiary level hospitals in Coimbatore were witnessing admission of serious cases of COVID-19 namely oxygen dependent patients and those with comorbidities as the State recently updated the protocol for triaging.
The triage centres in Coimbatore were carefully examining and sending them to COVID-19 care centres (CCC), home isolation, COVID-19 health centres (CHC) and COVID-19 hospitals based on various parameters.
Health officials said that persons with mild symptoms were being advised to remain in home isolation or referred to CCCs in the absence of adequate facilities for home isolation.
Those aged above 60, antenatal and postnatal mothers, those with comorbidities and patients requiring oxygen support were being referred to COVID-19 hospitals, they said.
The main focus of the updated protocol was to avoid patients who only need home isolation or treatment in primary care facilities getting admitted to COVID-19 designated facilities.
The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) had 184 patients under treatment as of Thursday. There were 39 antenatal mothers.The total number of beds designated for COVID-19 patients at the hospital is 1,750.
“Patients with a respiratory rate more than 30 per minute and an oxygen saturation (SpO2) level below 90 are admitted to tertiary level COVID-19 hospitals like CMCH as per the updated protocol. Likewise, various parameters including vaccination status are checked before referring patients to home isolation, CCC, CHC and COVID designated hospitals,” said CMCH Dean A. Nirmala.
CMCH is currently triaging patients at its annex facility functioning on the campus of the Government Arts College where 100 beds with oxygen support are also available.
According to the Health Department, there were 3,205 O2 beds, 2,387 non-O2 beds and 793 ICU beds in Coimbatore district apart from 3,847 beds in CCCs as of Thursday.