Gandhi Hospital runs out of ICU beds

Health Minister asks govt, pvt hospitals to treat critical patients locally, rather than referring them to Gandhi Hospital

Hyderabad: The influx of critical Covid patients has been so intense that within a few days, all the 619 hospital beds meant for ICU/ventilator care at Gandhi hospital are filled while a few more are left at Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), Gachibowli.

There are about 1,100 beds at Gandhi Hospital that are equipped with oxygen and ventilators and this is for the first time in Telangana that a hospital has over 600 patients on ventilator support.

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Health Minister Eatala Rajender urged the management of private hospitals and doctors at government hospitals to ensure critical patients in their facilities are provided treatment locally, rather than referring them to Gandhi Hospital.

“After providing treatment, when a patient’s medical condition worsens, they are immediately referred to Gandhi Hospital by the managements of private hospitals and even government hospitals in districts. Strict orders have been issued to doctors at government hospitals to refer such patients to Area or District Hospitals that are equipped with ventilators. Private hospitals too should avoid referring because there is every possibility that the critical patient might die on the way to Gandhi Hospital. Please try to provide oxygen or ventilator support to critical patients locally,” he urged.

To ensure the availability of more beds, the State government had recently permitted about 1,038 private hospitals in Telangana to treat Covid patients. The Health Department is supplying Remdesivir and oxygen to such small and medium private hospitals.

“I urge private hospitals not to force patients or their relatives to go and procure medicines like Remdesivir or oxygen on their own. We have supplied a sufficient number of Remdesivir injections to private hospitals. I warn private hospitals not to try to make profits out of people’s misery,” Rajender warned.

Visit hospital if you develop symptoms

Covid positive patients, who are under home isolation, must immediately rush to the nearest government healthcare facility if they develop symptoms. If the symptoms develop further and fever is not decreasing or they still have body pains, then patients who are in isolation at home must visit a healthcare facility.

Senior health officials said that there are occasions wherein such Covid-19 positive individuals are delaying a visit to the hospital leading to a rise of infections.

Eatala warns of strict action

Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Thursday warned those who were trying to make a fast buck at the cost of the hapless Covid patients. “At a time when the entire government machinery is working overtime to provide facilities like beds, medicines, and oxygen to Covid patients, there are some individuals and even hospital managements who are trying to make profits. There are also people selling medicine in the black market. The Health Department is keenly observing these developments and at the right time, swift and decisive action will be taken against them,” Rajender cautioned.

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