Kolkata: Hosps face Cov-non-Cov bed balance challenge – ET HealthWorld

Kolkata: With a rise in the number of Covid patients over the last week, private hospitals are facing the challenge of accommodating non-Covid patients — whose number is the highest since the onset of the pandemic — while considering extending their Covid units. More Covid admissions, that have already doubled at several private hospitals over the last 8-10 days, would force a squeeze of non-Covid sections that are now operating at full capacity.

At AMRI Hospitals, non-Covid patients have crossed 550 across three units, which is the highest since March last year. The number of surgeries, too, is the highest in the last 18 months. The hospital has 50 Covid beds, of which 32 are occupied. It was just 17 last week. “If the present rate of Covid patient growth continues, we will be faced with the compulsion of cutting down on non-Covid patients. About 80% of our non-Covid beds are occupied and a lot of them have undergone procedures deferred due to the pandemic,” said AMRI CEO Rupak Barua.

Peerless Hospital has 289 non-Covid patients. The hospital had 20 Covid patients till last Sunday, but the number has jumped to 31. “If this continues, we must extend our Covid unit, which will lead to a reduction in non-Covid admissions,” said CEO Sudipta Mitra.

A Covid patient died at the hospital on Tuesday.

Mitra added that with Bangladesh flights about to resume, enquiries have been pouring in from patients there. “We are now making two-three admissions from Bangladesh every day. We also have a huge number of local non-Covid patients who have surgeries and procedures lined up over the next two-three weeks,” he said.An extra Covid ward will have 50 beds at Peerless, which could see an equal number of non-Covid admissions being curtailed.

Medica Superspecialty Hospital is yet to see a rise in Covid patients, but expects an explosion by the month-end. “There has been a spurt in positivity rate in tests we conducted. We have 250 non-Covid patients, which may have to come down by September-end to accommodate Covid patients,” said Medica chairperson Alok Roy.

There are 425 non-Covid and 12 Covid patients at RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences at present. “Other than a minor rise in the positivity rate over the last few weeks, there hasn’t been any remarkable change,” said RTIICS zonal head R Venkatesh. He added if Covid numbers rise, non-Covid beds could be reduced “following the process adopted during the first two waves”.