KOCHI: While the number of Covid-19 patients needing critical care is on the rise, the Ernakulam district is facing an acute shortage of doctors experienced in managing intensive care units.
According to the Indian Medical Association’s Kerala chapter, most government hospitals in the district, including the Medical College Hospital in Kalamassery, lack intensivists — critical care physicians.
“Only a few major hospitals within the district have an intensive care department. Under the special circumstances of Covid-19, intensivists need to be posted as per the number of shifts at a particular hospital,” said IMA state president Abraham Varghese.
A nurse’s claim that a misplaced ventilator tube led to the death of a Covid patient at the Kalamassery MCH had pointed to the lack of staff experienced in handling such cases.
Ajit Bhaskar, joint secretary-north zone, IMA, stressed on the shortage of doctors, nurses and other staff at ICUs.
“The doctors and staff on ICU duty cannot wear PPE kits for more than six hours. The rise in Covid cases has also created a situation where the doctors and healthcare workers themselves are affected by the disease and are forced to go into quarantine,” he said.
Foreseeing an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases across the state, IMA had organised intensive training programmes in Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod and Malappuram districts to equip doctors taking up ICU duty. Given the shortage of full-time intensivists in the state, IMA has suggested the formation of a more efficient system to make use of the expertise of the current group of doctors experienced in handling ICUs. “We plan to bring together a group of intensive care experts working at major hospitals in the state to provide tele-ICU support to the doctors in charge of ICUs at hospitals located in peripheral areas,” an IMA official said.
Though Covid patients have not been admitted to hospitals in peripheral areas, experts feel the situation can change quickly leading to a shortage of beds and ventilators at hospitals in urban areas, which would bring other hospitals into the picture.
“We are trying to speak to hospitals which have intensive care departments to provide their expertise wherever required. The advice of experts can be passed on through telephone or a video call,” said the IMA official.
1,250 test positive in dist, 633 recover
Kochi: The district on Wednesday reported 1,250 Covid cases, the highest single-day tally till date, with local transmission accounting for a whopping 994 cases. Seven healthcare workers were among those who tested positive. Sources of infection of 235 persons remained unknown while 14 came from other states, health officials said. Multiple cases were reported from Rayamangalam, Thrikkakara, Nedumbassery, Maradu, Kizhakambalam, Vengola, Tripunithura, Kadamakudy, Kalady, Varapuzha, Palluruthy, and Kumbalangi. Twenty migrant labourers were among those tested positive on the day on which 633 people recovered from the illness. The total number of people undergoing treatment in the district stood at 12,192.