CUTTACK: With the unprecedented surge in Covid cases, Cuttack, the healthcare capital of the State, has begun to crumble under the pressure of ever-rising patients. The city which boasts of the largest number of healthcare facilities in the State, including the SCB Medical College and Hospital, has run out of ICU beds, leaving critical patients to their fate.
Covid hospitals in Cuttack have 375 ICUs. While the highest 135 ICU beds are at SCB Covid Hospital, there are 50 at Aswini Covid Hospital, 30 in Sadguru Covid Hospital, 50 in Srusti Covid Hospital, 35 in South Point Covid Hospital, 20 in Unique Covid Hospital, 35 in Rudra Covid Hospital and 20 in Om Suvam Covid Hospital. However, almost all the beds are occupied.
“More than 150 critical Covid patients are waiting to get ICU beds at SCB MCH,” said a doctor on condition of anonymity. As several patients are being referred to the hospitals in critical condition, both from home and hospitals in other districts, it is not possible to provide them ICU beds and ventilators, he added.
The RDC-cum-Cuttack district Covid observer Anil Kumar Samal on Monday reviewed the progress of construction of an additional 100-bed Covid hospital at SCB Medical College and Hospital. He also took stock of oxygen supply and management of dead bodies at SCB in a meeting with CMC Commissioner Ananya Das, Hospital superintendent Prof Lucy Das, Dean and Principal Datteswar Hota.
Expressing dissatisfaction over delay in making the 100-bed Covid hospital operational, Samal instructed officials to make the new Covid facility with 41 ICUs, 20 HDUs and 40 beds with oxygen support within seven days.
He directed the officials to shift dead bodies within 30 minutes from the ward to the morgue. The CMC will depute a special officer and deploy two more hearse vans for transporting bodies from the hospital to crematoriums. “Stringent action will be initiated if lapses are noticed in shifting of the bodies,” warned Samal.