BHUBANESWAR: Amidst a surge in COVID-19 cases and close-to-full occupancy of ICU beds in Dedicated COVID Hospitals (DCHs) in the Twin City of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Odisha Government has decided to further ramp up critical care infrastructure.
After an internal assessment, Health and Family Welfare department is all set to add 200 ICU beds in both the cities and set up a 500-bed hospital with 100-bed ICU facility in Cuttack.
The Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have been asked to discuss with willing private hospitals to set up Covid care units with ICU and ventilator facilities. Sources said preliminary talks are on with three hospital, including KIDS at Bhubaneswar and Shanti and Sun Hospitals at Cuttack to set up ICU units with ventilator facilities in at least 20 per cent beds to treat serious patients.
The decision was taken in the wake of 98 per cent (pc) occupancy of ICU beds in both the cities. Of the 243 ICU beds in five hospitals in Bhubaneswar alone, 238 beds are occupied. The situation in the Covid hospitals in Cuttack is no different.
The State Government has decided to convert isolation ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack into a 500-bed dedicated COVID unit keeping in mind the rising caseload. The unit will have a 100-bed ICU facility.
Additional Chief Secretary of Health department PK Mohapatra said although around 55 pc of the active cases are in home isolation, the Government has decided to augment ICU facilities taking into account the severity of disease in some cases.
"Since the COVID situation is at its peak in Khurda and Cuttack with both districts recording more than 1000 cases a day for last three days, we may require more beds. We are planning to add ICU beds very soon. If required, we may shift patients to Covid hospitals in nearby districts where ventilator beds are vacant," he said.
He added that the State has 435 ventilator beds in Covid facilities of which only 135 are in use. Except Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the occupancy of ICU beds in other parts of the State is less than 50 per cent. Khurda and Cuttack have around 3,500 beds, including 350 in ICUs against 9,052 active cases recorded till Sunday.