Health authorities look less prepared in managing COVID-19 patients’ influx
ISLAMABAD – As novel coronavirus (COVID-19) positivity ratio surged above 05% in the city, the health authorities look less prepared in managing the number of patients on the available number of beds, The Nation learnt on Friday.
According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) data, eight COVID-19 patients died in the city in the previous 24 hours, while 305 were added in the influx.
The NCOC figures said that there are 7,228 active cases of COVID-19 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), while the total number of cases since emergence of the virus has surged above 28,980.
The meeting held in the NCOC also noted that the COVID-19 positivity ratio in the city is surfacing at 5.84%.
Officials said that the COVID-19 designated hospitals are struggling managing the patients’ influx due to lack of infrastructure and less human resource.
Senior officials at Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) informed The Nation that the 250-bed COVID-19 designated hospital inaugurated by the Prime Minister (PM) in the month of July is still lacking the administrative infrastructure despite having the equipment.
The 250-bed infectious disease centre was built by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in 40 days to treat the COVID-19 patients.
“There are only 30 beds that are functional including 10 ventilators,” officials at the Ministry of NHS said.
Officials said that the hospital was designated for the COVID-19 patients and has 55 ventilators but, still only 10 are operated, while around 25 doctors and 30 other staff are deployed there.
“After the first wave, the hired staff was downsized from 60 to 30 and now ministry is again taking interviews to hire staff again,” said the official.
Officials said that there is a jam pack situation on 30 beds and the hospital is only taking oxygen dependent patients there now. “Resultantly, the influx is increasing in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS),” said the official.
The PIMS data available with The Nation said that the total bed capacity of the hospital for the COVID-19 is 155 including 10 ventilator beds.
Official data said that 155 COVID-19 patients visited the hospital in the previous 24 hours and 14 were admitted, currently 94 patients are admitted in the hospital and four are on oxygen. There are no patients on ventilator and five have been discharged from the hospital as well.
PIMS Media Coordinator Dr. Waseem Khawaja told The Nation that patients’ influx is increasing in the hospital as it has converted Medical Ward-6 also into the COVID-19 ward. Dr. Waseem also said that along with an increase in influx of the general patients, the hospital staff is also being infected with the virus.
“Above 150 staff including doctors have so far suffered,” he said.
Officials at the Ministry of NHS said that 100-bed Federal General Hospital (FGH) was considered to convert into COVID-19 hospital but the idea was not materialised.
FGH Incharge Dr. Mir Hassan talking to The Nation said that the FGH is a secondary level 100-bed hospital and is not dealing with the COVID-19. He said that there is no COVID-19 patient in the hospital.
Meanwhile, the district administration in a meeting held with private hospitals deliberated to increase the beds capacity there as well.
Akbar Niazi Hospital to increase beds strength from 24 to 74 in two weeks, QIH has gone to 49 beds, Shifa Hospital was again requested to increase to 55 beds from 35, while Reliance Hospital is a new addition with 12 beds.
Director General (DG) NHS Dr. Safi Malik informing about the number of beds for the COVID-19 patients said, “we are going to expand the number of beds.”
Spokesperson for the NHS said that all health departments are dealing with the COVID-19 influx of patients with coordinated efforts.
Article source: https://nation.com.pk/28-Nov-2020/health-authorities-look-less-prepared-in-managing-covid-19-patients-influx