AHMEDABAD: Following a drop in new cases of coronavirus in Gujarat, around 84 per cent of the beds in government as well as designated private COVID-19 hospitals are currently vacant, said Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel on Monday.
He gave the credit for the fall in new COVID-19 cases to measures such as night curfew in four major cities, including Ahmedabad, and to greater awareness among people about the infection and ways of protection from it.
After a post-Diwali surge, the coronavirus situation has stablised in the state, said Patel, who handles the health portfolio.
"After Diwali, when COVID-19 cases started increasing in Gujarat, it was a challenge for us to accommodate all those patients."
"We even sent some of the patients (from Ahmedabad) to hospitals situated in nearby cities of Anand and Nadiad.'
"But now, the situation has improved and around 84 per cent of all the beds available in COVID-19 hospitals across the state are vacant," Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar.
Gujarat recorded its highest daily increase of 1,607 coronavirus cases on November 27.
Cases have been on the decline since then.
"The situation improved mainly due to the night curfew (in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot), alertness of local administrations and of the Health Department as well as greater awareness among people about wearing masks and maintaining social distancing," said Patel.
In Ahmedabad city, out of 3,775 beds earmarked for COVID-19 patients, around 68 per cent - that is 2,569 beds in around 100 designated private hospitals - are vacant at present, according to data shared by the Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association on Monday.
Since the burden on doctors has decreased due to a drop in COVID-19 cases, the government has decided to start evening OPD at the main Civil Hospital in Ahmedabad so that non-coronavirus patients can also avail better treatment, said the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, Patel asked the agitating intern doctors to join duties immediately and assured to take a decision on their demand at an "appropriate time".
Intern doctors of various government-run medical colleges in Gujarat are on an indefinite strike since Monday morning demanding an increase in stipend from current Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000.
"The government will take an appropriate decision about the hike in stipend at an appropriate time. Instead of thinking about patients in these difficult times, interns must not apply pressure tactics to press for their demand."
"This strike is uncalled for in the present situation. They must rejoin their duties. They will be marked absent if they do not rejoin their respective duties," said Patel.
"Since attendance is also counted for getting admission in PG courses, they will suffer if they continue with the agitation as they may not get admission," he warned.
Gujarat on Monday reported 1,120 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the count of infections to 2,28,803, the state health department said.
With 11 more patients succumbing to the viral disease, the cumulative toll mounted to 4,182, it said.
At 1,389, the number of recoveries exceeded the new cases in the day.
The total count of recoveries has reached 2,11,603, it said, adding that the recovery rate now stands at 92.48 per cent.
The state now has 13,018 active cases, it said.
A total of 55,807 samples were tested in the last 24 hours in the state at the rate of 858.57 tests per day per million population, taking the total number of tests to 87,25,383.