Private hospitals in Kolkata increase beds for respiratory ailment patients

KOLKATA: Several private hospitals have earmarked additional beds and isolation areas for a possible surge in adenovirus cases. Most have seen a rise in patients with adenovirus, particularly children. While some have kept a team of doctors ready to attend to patients, others are keeping an eye on the situation even as they prepare to meet an emergency situation.

So far, at least 30 kids have died at Medical College & Hospital, Calcutta, and BC Roy Children's Hospital over the last fortnight.
AMRI Hospitals, Mukundapur, has 65 children admitted at its general wards and 10 at the paediatric ICU (PICU). The hospital has added 10 general beds and four PICU beds to meet the surge in admissions, including many with adenovirus. "Our paediatric unit is fully occupied despite additional beds. The flow of patients with symptoms of adenovirus continues. We have eight patients at the emergency section now, waiting for beds to turn vacant. We had a meeting on Wednesday and have decided to deploy additional doctors and nurses at the unit. If the flow of patients persist, we may add more beds," said AMRI CEO Rupak Barua.
Eight of the 10 children admitted at AMRI's PICU are on ventilation. The hospital has acquired four additional ventilators.
Woodlands Hospital has earmarked beds for adenovirus patients. "We have also kept high-flow nasal cannula, CPAP, BiPAP machines, mechanical ventilators and ICU beds ready. Our paediatricians are available 24x7 at the hospital," said Rupali Basu, managing director & CEO of Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital.
RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences has created an isolation facility at its emergency section for adenovirus patients. "We have isolation beds in critical care, which will be used in case there is a surge in adenovirus cases. We are closely monitoring the situation and will follow guidelines from the heath department. If there is a surge, we will plan to have a separate area with critical care and ward beds as per the situation," said Narayana Hospitals zonal head R Venkatesh.
Peerless Hospital has four patients in its six-bed paediatric ITU. These include adenovirus patients. "We don't yet have a steady flow of patients so we have not yet added beds. But in case the flow increases, we will dedicate an eight-bed ITU to them. We have all the necessary equipment and personnel ready," said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.
Children have weaker lungs that make them vulnerable to adenovirus, said paediatrician Santanu Ray. "Premature babies and those with a lung issue are now doubly prone to adenovirus. We have seen scores of children with similar symptoms and a significant number has been severe. The most common symptoms are fever, respiratory distress and diarhhoea. Parents ought to be careful if one of the symptoms occur. The child's oxygen saturation and heart rate must be screened. If the former drops below 95 and the latter below 60, then hospitalization is necessary," added Ray.