Farmers Movement Archive

Of 10 Covid-19 casualties, majority chose pvt hospitals for treatment

Tribune News ServiceJalandhar, June 11Three City Residents Among 12 New CasesThe three residents of the city who tested positive include a 34-year-old man from Avtar Nagar, whose contact history is not known yet, a 27-year old woman resident of Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Nagar and a 40-year-old man from Buta Mandi, a contact of a previous Covid patientOf the 10 persons died of Covid in the district so far, a majority were referred to or chose to go to private hospitals. While most of them had co-morbidities, at least six were put on ventilator.Of the 10 persons, four chose to go to the local Civil Hospital while the rest chose private hospitals or medical establishments in the city and outside the district. Of the four who died at the Civil Hospital, one was city’s first case (an Ayurvedic chemist), the other three were women from Kotla Heran, Basti Danishmandan and Ishar Nagar.Ever since the lockdown started on March 23, there have been 10 Covid deaths in the district. Of these, one was 30 year old, two were aged 48 and 49, three aged 50, 51 and 59, one aged 66 and 64 and two were aged 91 and 86-year-old. The latter died on Wednesday.Three persons died at hospitals in Ludhiana (two at the CMC and one at the DMCH); one at the PGI, Chandigarh, and another patient at a private hospital at Rama Mandi here.The person who died on Wednesday had been admitted to a private hospital but breathed his last at the IMA facility in Shahkot. He also went to the Civil Hospital but the family chose to take him to the IMA facility. The majority of the deceased were cases which traversed private hospitals before finally being referred to a medical college or some other multispeciality centre in the state.With the majority choose to go to private hospitals, the private institutions have to exercise caution in coming days. So far, the health authorities have denied the need for extra ventilators or beds to add to the existing arrangements in the district. As many as 150 ventilators are on reserve in private establishments.Dr. Vijay Mahajan, CMD, Tagore Hospital and Heart Care Centre, Jalandhar, said: “Private hospitals are getting a steady stream of Covid patients. A policy for all private hospitals must include the presence of ‘triage’ areas outside the hospital where a flu corner is established and all patients are screened for temperature and travel history before entering. The foremost concern of the private hospitals is ensuring patients with co-morbidities or diseases already admitted with them stay protected from the infection. While we take in all patients, high-risk patients with Covid symptoms must be referred to the Civil Hospital. At present, this is how we operate and strict protocol is being followed to ensure that none of those suspected to be infected is let into the main area of the hospital.”Dr Navjot Dahiya, in charge, IMA chapter, Jalandhar, said: “With the current case inflow, existing beds and ventilators in the district are enough. But keeping in mind any kind of emergency, which might arise in the future, the best solution would be to earmark a common place somewhere outside the city, away from congested areas, where beds in larger numbers can be incorporated at a single facility. A university or a mall could be used for the same. The private sector is willing to provide beds for the same. We have also created a back up of ventilators that can also be provided to the government if we are provided with the AMC (annual maintenance costs). It isn’t possible to set up isolation units at private hospitals in the city as they are located in crowded areas, some in the heart of residential localities.”Those deeceased who were put on ventilator support include city’s first Covid casualty Ayurvedic chemist Parveen Sharma, a Maharashtra labourer from Basti Gujan who was admitted to a private hospital, the 64-year-old Tagore Nagar man who died a few days ago, the 30 year-old admitted to the PGI with kidney disease, a 91-year-old Jandu Singha resident and a patient admitted to Ludhiana. The 51-year-old astrologer, a Covid suspect, who died a few days ago, was also gasping when brought to the ESI Hospital.

The Tribune

2020-06-12