From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Jul 25: The leading private sector M S Ramaiah Hospital has offered 500 beds to the state government for the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The hospital, which had already set aside 340 beds for COVID-19 patients, will ramp it up to 500 in the next two weeks.
Dr M R Jayaram, chairman of the Ramaiah Group of Institutions and M R Sreenivasa Murthy, chief executive, Gokula Education Foundation (Medical) assured deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan on increasing the bed capacity.
Dr Ashwath Naryan visited the hospital on Saturday morning.
The deputy chief minister held discussions with the college staff and inspected the COVID wards through CC TV cameras from the board room itself.
He expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made in the COVID wards.
“Despite our repeated requests, several private hospitals are thinking twice to offer 50 percent of the beds to the government. But even before asking, M S Ramaiah Hospital has been providing treatment to COVID patients and has voluntarily come forward to offer the beds to us. We must appreciate their commitment and service motto with open mind,” the deputy chief minister said.
Sreenivasa Murthy informed the deputy chief minister that 340 beds were already in use for treating COVID patients and 160 more will be available in the next two weeks.
The deputy chief minister requested the hospital management to increase the number of ventilators from the present 5 to 25 and add a minimum of 50 to 100 ICU beds to the existing 50.
The hospital management responded positively to the deputy chief minister’s request.
With the hospital facing a shortage of Remdesivir, the drug used in the treatment of coronavirus infected patients, the hospital management urged the state government to take steps to ensure supply.
The deputy chief minister assured of immediate steps for the supply of the required quantities and also other medicines.
In spite of taking necessary precautions, around 10 percent of the staff working at the hospital were getting infected with coronavirus while treating the patients. "Despite this, our staff are treating the patients with perseverance. In the present situation, we are facing a shortage of doctors and paramedical staff,” Sreenivasa Murthy said.
He also assured support to the state government in providing doctors and paramedical staff to K C General Hospital.
Senior management of the hospital, members of the governing council and senior officials from the BBMP health department were present during the deputy minister’s visit.
As the hospital was facing a shortage of ventilators and dialysis units to treat COVID infected patients, the deputy chief minister promised to get them 10 ventilators and 10 dialysis units through sponsors.
During his visit to the hospital on Saturday, Dr Narayan also assured to provide 20 HFNC machines used in supplying oxygen to the patients. The hospital had requested 20 ventilators from the government. We will try to get them at the earliest, he said.
The deputy chief minister also added that the required medical equipment is being provided to the hospital so that patients referred by the government will get proper treatment.