Kolkata: With respiratory diseases on the rise, hospitals are taking precaution by adding beds, equipment, and personnel to handle a quick influx of patients. While beds fill up with bronchitis, COPD, asthma, and pneumonia patients, hospitals are rushing to arrange equipment, like ECMO and more ventilators.
Charnock Hospital, which saw a significant rise in severe respiratory patients, introduced ECMO services and a second Cath Lab on Monday to bolster its emergency services. ECMO, a sophisticated life support system, temporarily replaces heart and lung functions for critically ill patients. "Charnock is the first in New Town to provide this advanced service. This technology provides vital support to patients facing severe heart and lung failure," said Charnock MD Prashant Sharma.
BP Poddar Hospital has set aside 10% of beds for emergency respiratory patients. The hospital's ITU is almost full, and more beds are being converted into ITU ones to cater to a steady stream of COPD and pneumonia admissions. "We are providing CPAP, BIPAP, and ventilator support in single rooms, double rooms and suites as well," said group advisor Supriyo Chakrabarty. Around 15% of patients with acute respiratory distress required ventilators, while five were transferred to ECMO support.
In the past week, the hospital's chest clinic received 113 patients with COPD-related complications, and 53 were admitted to the ITU. Currently, 103 are admitted with respiratory problems and pneumonia. Peerless Hospital has 32 respiratory patients, including six in ITU. All the 20 additional ventilators it acquired during Covid could soon be used, said CEO Sudipta Mitra.
Techno India DAMA Hospital has acquired additional ventilators since Covid. "Cases of respiratory disorders have surged, and we are keeping extra ventilation support arrangements ready for kids and adults. We are also keeping extra oxygen concentrators, pancreas oxygen concentrators, and beds for emergency patients," said M S Purkait, medical superintendent of Techno DAMA.
With over 500 ICU and HDU beds across five hospitals in the city and a robust pulmonology team of 15 respiratory medicine specialists, Manipal Hospitals are "sufficiently geared up to cater to the seasonal surges in respiratory ailments", said Ayanabh Debgupta, regional COO, Manipal Hospitals (East).
Ruby General Hospital's 15-bed respiratory ICU is full, with a majority on ventilation. "Respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV tend to peak in this season, aggravating COPD conditions. There is also more incidences of pneumonia, a frequent complication in COPD patients," said BP Poddar consultant pulmonologist Rik Banerjee.