Only 15 ICU beds are vacant for Covid patients in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: As the Covid-19 cases are increasing, the beds dedicated for Covid-19 patients in hospitals are getting filled up at a rapid pace with ICU occupancy at a worrying 98%.

As of April 19, around 6,138 beds have been dedicated for Covid-19 patients at 86 Bengaluru facilities- across government and private hospitals and medical colleges and Covid Care Centres (CCCs). Out of them, only 1,328 or 26% were vacant. Of the dedicated beds, 591 are ICU and 2,304 are HDU beds. Only 2% (15) of the ICU beds and 90% of HDUs are vacant as of now.

As per the Private Hospitals’ and Nursing Homes’ Association, the difference between HDUs and ICUs lies in monitoring and type of ventilators. HDUs have one nurse for four patients, whereas, ICUs have one nurse for every two and in some cases, for each patient. ICUs have invasive ventilators and a doctor round the clock. Both ICUs and HDUs require oxygen.

Not less than 76% of the 5,500 listed beds for Covid care are in private hospitals and the rest two at CCCs. The state government is trying to resolve this by issuing diktats to private hospitals to allocate more beds, but there is no success.

Patients are coming in at the last minute

Complaints from the citizens have been coming constantly and many of them have volunteered to seek help in getting Covid beds. Ameen-e-Mudassar who is part of a citizen volunteer group Emergency Response Team in Bengaluru has posted a sentimental video requesting people to stay at home. He said, “There is absolute chaos. Several hospitals are discharging patients in ICUs as they don’t have oxygen while getting an ICU bed itself has nearly become impossible. We know of patients who have tried 50-60 hospitals, there are queues outside hospitals, so please stay indoors.”

In most of the cases, hospitals are unable to divert beds for Covid, and this is especially true for critical-care beds. An advocate who was seeking bed for a relative said that private hospitals told them that BBMP has taken over the beds and is delaying the allotment.

Dr HHM Orasanna, PHANA president said that lack of home monitoring cases is resulting in patients coming in at the last moment which requires high dependency units. He said, “Last year, around 50% of patients in hospitals at any given time were not critical, this time, nearly 90% are critical.”

Occupancy in general beds is also high. Out of the 578 beds at two CCCs, only 14% are vacant; of the 2,666 general-category beds across facilities, 62% are occupied.

“The rate at which cases are growing, the government must arrange for more beds. People should consult doctors before it is too late and to prevent need for ICU. They must regularly check for oxygen levels at home and consult doctors at the slightest change because deterioration occurs quickly”, said Dr V Ravi, member of the technical advisory committee.