South Goa hosp’s occupancy less than 50%, but severity of disease still high – ET HealthWorld

The hospital, which escalated its beds to its full capacity of 568 during the peak of the second wave, has less than half of its beds occupied. Daily admissions which were around 90, and had even crossed 100, now average 30, with discharges more than the admissions.

Since Thursday, the hospital has had more than 200 beds vacant.

The hospital’s casualty that saw up to 1,600 each day during the peak has also drastically reduced, but a doctor said patients continuing to be brought dead is worrying and indicative of the fact that people are not seeking treatment in time. Majority of those succumbing have also not taken the vaccine, the doctor said.

“Those who have tested positive and have symptoms can visit the hospital’s flu OPD between 8am to 8pm, and the casualty 24 hours if they are very symptomatic. Those who are positive and have fever, headache, slight breathlessness or any other unusual symptoms, must visit the hospital where an X-ray will be done to ascertain the extent of the disease, after which the patient will be guided properly and advised hospitalisation or not,” a doctor said.

Doctors and nurses from MPT hospital have also been shifted to the South Goa district hospital which enabled it to commission the last 68 beds.

An official said patients who were about to be discharged would be shifted to MPT hospital, and those from MPT hospital who turned severe were shifted to South Goa district hospital, but this got too complicated.

“MPT hospital didn’t have all the resources and antibiotics, and it isn’t a tertiary level hospital. Instead of shifting patients back and forth, the government decided to shift the manpower to South Goa district hospital,” the official said.

The 568-bed hospital, however, continues to have a very small ICU with only nine beds and an ITU with nine beds.

A five-bed high dependency unit (HDU) has been set up next to the casualty where patients brought in, in a serious condition, can be stabilised. The unit is likely to be made functional on Friday.

“A patient who is serious can immediately be put on a non-invasive ventilator and stabilised in this unit before being shifted to the ICU, ITU or the ward. Simultaneously, blood samples can be collected and investigation can be fast tracked instead of any delays,” the official said.

Daily mortality at the hospital has been under 10 for the past few days and doctors are trying to bring this number under five, and then down to zero.

“The severity of the disease is still very high and patients are very serious. The work is tremendous,” a doctor working at the hospital told TOI.