Call to reduce beds for Covid cases

NT Correspondent

With Covid-19 third wave is showing signs of tapering off and fewer cases requiring hospitalisation, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) has sought a reduction in the number of beds reserved for coronavirus patients.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, they have requested that the government should bring down the percentage of reserved beds in private health centres set aside for Covid-19 patients referred by public health authorities from 50% to 25%.

In a statement, PHANA said, “Under instruction from the government of Karnataka, we had kept aside 50% of beds in private hospitals and nursing homes for Covid care, for patients referred by government authorities. As we have seen since last one month the hospitalisation rate is very low and all these beds are not occupied by government referred patients, these notified beds are not earning any revenue and maintenance of these beds has been a huge financial burden on private hospitals. At the same time, the requirement and demand for non-Covid admissions are rising by the day.”

With the surge in the number of cases in the first week of January, Chief Secretary, government of Karnataka had ordered that private hospitals and medical colleges reserve 50% beds under each category – ICU, ICU with ventilator, HDU/Oxygenated and general beds – for treatment of patients referred by government hospitals.

According to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), a total of 6,963 were reserved beds for Covid-19 patients in health facilities across the city.

The association has urged the government to release these beds from the Covid notification, so that they can be put to better use for patients deserving admission. It also assured that in case the cases begin to rise again and more beds are required, “We shall make this bed available for government allocation within a 5 to 7 days timeline,” the statement said.