BENGALURU: The Karnataka Government is looking to prohibit small hospitals with less than 30 beds from treating Covid-19 patients. At a joint press conference on Wednesday, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that hospitals without enough infrastructure to treat Covid-19 patients are posing a huge challenge.
“The government will issue an order prohibiting hospitals with less than 30 beds from admitting and treating Covid-19 patients. Small hospitals with 20 -30 beds should only give treatment to non-Covid patients. We will issue an order to this effect. If these hospitals don’t have the infrastructure or ability to arrange oxygen, but admit patients because the reimbursement from the government is high, it may lead to loss of lives and the government will not tolerate that,” Dr Sudhakar emphasised.
Adding that JSW Steel had agreed to provide additional oxygen supply to the state, the Health Minister said that there won’t be any shortage anymore in Bengaluru. “Jindal company has agreed to stop its production if it has to, and supply additional oxygen. About 32 metric tons to one and 8 metric tonne to another institute has been sent from the additional 40 metric ton supply from Jindal Steels,” he said.
Later in the day, the government announced a call centre number that will work 24/7 for oxygen and Remdesivir-related queries.The joint press conference by Ministers Sudhakar and R Ashoka and Bengaluru MP Tejasvi Surya also saw the Revenue Minister warning of stringent action against ambulance and hearse services overcharging kin of Covid-19 victims.
Tejasvi Surya, who thanked the Union Government for approving Phases 2A and 2B of Namma Metro, added that he will tour hospitals in South Bengaluru to ensure 50 per cent beds are reserved under the government quota for Covid-19 patients.
Estimating the oxygen requirement in Karnataka at 1,500 metric tons per day by the end of next month, given the caseload, Sudhakar said that Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has written to the Centre asking for the State’s quota of oxygen to be increased to 1,500 metric tons.