Not enough ventilators available in 1200-bed hospital in Ahmedabad

The Gujarat government has set up a 1,200-bed COVID-19 hospital within the campus of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. However, it is said that there are only 180 ventilators in working condition for the treatment of patients admitted in critical condition.

Ahmedabad: While a large number of patients have died in the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, the availability of a limited number of ventilators raises questions on the public health system. In 1,200-bed COVID-19 hospitals, there are only 180 ventilators in working condition.

In view of the increasing number of cases, a division bench of the Gujarat High Court headed by Justice J B Pardiwala had suggested that coronavirus patients be treated at the UN Mehta Kidney hospital and the old VS Hospital.

After the High Court order, the state government is now preparing to admit 269 coronavirus patients in UN Mehta hospital, 202 patients in Kidney hospital, 206 in GCRI and 56 patients in Bapunar’s ESIC hospital. However, there is no official confirmation about facilities for the treatment of coronavirus patients in the old V S Hospital.

In the COVID-19 hospital in the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, there are only 25 pulmonologists. In the main 1,200-bed Ahmedabad Civil Hospital there are only five pulmonologists while 20 pulmonologists are summoned from other private hospitals who attend to patients every 2-3 hours.

There are 25 wards in the COVID hospital and there is a gap of six-foot between two beds. The government claims the patients are provided supplementary food from Silver Star hotel eight times in a day.

It is believed that the basic ventilator Dhaman-1 is responsible for a large number of deaths in the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital. Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and party MLAs were denied meeting with COVID hospital’s officer on special duty Dr M M Prabhakar despite an appointment.

Congress has alleged that the government does not want to reveal how many patients were put on Dhaman-1 ventilator between April 4 and May 15. According to sources, the use of Dhaman-1 ventilator has been stopped at present and will be used as and when needed.

Congress holds the ‘Namaste Trump’ event organized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the spread of coronavirus in Gujarat and intends to file a writ petition in the Gujarat High Court soon.

Regarding a large number of deaths of coronavirus patients in Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, the government said most of the patients from the 11 containment areas were admitted to the hospital because it had 495 beds for critical patients.

Patients from middle-class families from Paladi and some parts of Eastern Ahmedabad were admitted to the SVP hospital which has 153 beds for critical patients. A 1,200-bed COVID hospital was set up in the civil hospital campus while the 850-bed facility was created in the SVP hospital for the treatment of coronavirus patients.

The first coronavirus case was registered in Gujarat on March 21-22 after which the health department had started briefing press conference twice – one in the morning and the other in the evening.

Since May 5, the health department has stopped giving information in its press release about how many patients have died in which hospital. No press conference has been held by the health secretary for the last two days and only a press release is being issued by the government. No district-wise information was given in the press release on May 26.

Talking to journalists, Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi alleged that the money allocated for the public health in the state budget was not being spent. The lesser number of ventilators shows that the government has inadequate medical equipment.

There are is a shortage of nursing and paramedical staff and equipment due to which the number of deaths of coronavirus patients is very high in the civil hospital.

Where is the money allocated in the budget for health services going? Is it being used to organize festivals and events? The government has utterly failed in controlling the spread of the pandemic.