BENGALURU: A surge in cases, particularly in Bengaluru, has forced the state government to direct leading private hospital chains to offer one of their branches each in the city to be devoted completely for Covid-19 treatment in the next two days. The Health & Family Welfare Department has chosen 20 such hospital chains and issued a circular on Wednesday, stating, “...you are requested to indicate within 48 hours the hospitals which will be designated as dedicated Covid hospital with the name and details of the contact person.”
These corporate hospitals also have to give details like beds, high-flow nasal cannulas, intensive care units (ICUs) and ventilators at these branches.Non-Covid patients from these branches have to be shifted to other hospitals or branches which would remain focussed on treating non-Covid cases.
Over the last few days, Bengaluru Urban has constantly remained the top contributor to the number of cases added in the state. On Wednesday too, of the state’s total cases of 397, Bengaluru Urban contributed 173, and the city has the highest tally of 1,678 in the state’s total 10,118. In terms of deaths too, Bengaluru leads with 78 of the state’s toll of 164.
The sudden surge has put
tremendous pressure on government hospitals, which are running out of ICU beds. On Wednesday, Bengaluru had 63 Covid-19 patients in ICUs, and in anticipation of a further surge in cases and to ensure that they do not run out of ICU space for treating critical patients, the state’s health department requested private hospital chains to set apart one branch each to meet the rising requirement.