78% hospital beds vacant in Bengaluru, ICUs, ventilators remain occupied

Bengaluru: As Covid cases are gradually decreasing in Bnegaluru, the hosiptal bed situation is also improving. The demand for hospitalisation of Covid ptients has declined.

According to BBMP’s data available on government beds, the situation is better in the case of Covid general beds among other categories. Out of the total 7,195 general beds, 5,624 (78.1%) were vacant by 3 pm on Sunday.

In high-dependency units with oxygenated beds, 2,098 (42.4%) of 4,945 beds were available. However, the situation is not the same with ICU and ventilator beds. The website shows that only 20 (3.3%) of 589 ICU beds and just 10 (1.5%) of 637 ICU beds with ventilators are available.

Six ICU beds with ventilator were available in Rainbow Children’s Hospital and one each was vacant in government hospital, Anekal, KC General Hospital, Oxford Medical College Hospital and Research Center and Dr BR Ambedkar Medical College Hospital.

The government beds in government hospitals and private hospitals are those which are reserved for patients refrred by the givernment authorities and their treatment if funded by the same.

Doctors in Bangalore Medical College and Research Institue informed that all 60 ventilator beds in Victoria hospital were full, while 27 of the 35 ventilator beds in PMSSY hospital were occupied and the rest blocked.

Dr CR Jayanthi, dean-cum-director of Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute said, “Some of the patients are on ventilator for 15-20 days. Slow recovery in severe Covid cases is leading to a prolonged stay.”

According to Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), the demand for Covid beds has decreased by 30%. Its president Dr HM Prasanna stated that 20% of high-dependency units with oxygentaed beds are available and ICU beds are fully occupied. As on May 29, the number of cases in Bengaluru was 1.6 lakh out of which 80% are in home isolation. On Saturday, the number of fresh cases were less than 5,000. Bengaluru’s Covid cases reached the peak on May6 when when it logged 23,706 fresh cases and had 3.3 lakh active cases.

BBMP chief commissioner Gaurav Gupta said that the availability of beds have eased over the past 15 days. He said, “From 10,000 enquiries, our call centres used to recieve, we get 2,000 a day. We faced a tidal surge, but it has gradually declined.” BBMP officials also informed that 28 Covid Care Centres are largely vacant and there is no need to continue them all.

Prasanna stated that PHANA will wait till the mid of June and slowly ask for gradual release of 50% beds taken over by the government in private hospitals. He said, “The government has reserved 50% of beds in private hospitals and 75% beds in private medical colleges to patients sent by public authorities.”