News Analysis India

Tag: oxygen beds

  • Over 1,300 Oxygen beds, about 530 ICU beds added in 12 AIIMS for Covid-19 treatment

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Starting from the second week of April, over 1,300 oxygen beds and about 530 ICU beds for COVID treatment have been added in 12 new AIIMS and the current availability of oxygen and ICU beds is about 1,900 and 900 respectively, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

    There are currently 1,925 non-ICU oxygen beds and about 908 ICU beds, including ventilators at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, AIIMS, Bhopal, AIIMS, Jodhpur, AIIMS, Patna, AIIMS, Raipur, AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS, Mangalagiri, AIIMS, Nagpur, AIIMS, Raebareli, AIIMS, Bathinda, AIIMS, Bibinagar and AIIMS, Gorakhpur.

    So far, setting up of 22 new AIIMS has been approved under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), a central sector scheme,announced in August 2003.

    Out of these, six AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh are already fully functional.

    In another seven AIIMS, OPD facility and MBBS classes have started, while in five more institutes only MBBS classes have started, the ministry said in its statement.

    “These regional AIIMS, set up or being set up under PMSSY, have played a very significant role in management of COVID since the beginning of the pandemic early last year. Their contribution becomes significant when seen in light of the fact that they serve areas where the health infrastructure is weak.

    “True to their mandate, they have also admirably responded to the challenge of the second wave by expanding bed capacities for treatment for moderate and severe COVID patients,” the ministry said.

    Keeping in view the increased demand, COVID treatment facilities have been started from AIIMS at Raebareli and Gorakhpur during April-May which has helped Uttar Pradesh to proactively serve patients of remote districts like Fatehpur, Barabanki, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Maharajganj, Kushinagar, Deoria, Ballia, Mau and Azamgarh.

    Capacities of these new AIIMS to handle COVID cases are being reinforced by Government of India by way of allocations of additional equipment such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders, besides other consumables such as N-95 masks, PPE kits and essential drugs which includes Favipiravir, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab, the statement said.

    Being tertiary care centres, the new regional AIIMS also delivered other critical non-COVID health services to COVID patients such as those requiring dialysis or those with serious heart ailments, pregnant women, paediatric cases.

    AIIMS, Raipur alone treated a total of 9,664 COVID patients from March till May 17.

    The institute has provided care to 362 COVID positive women and helped 223 to have safe deliveries.

    Paediatric care was provided to 402 COVID children and 898 COVID patients with severe heart ailments availed treatment, while 272 patients were aided in their dialysis session, the statement stated.

    The country is currently witnessing cases of mucormycosis being reported from different states.

    The condition is generally seen in people with a weakened immune system and those with diabetes.

    Diabetes is a co-morbidity for COVID, the treatment of which requires use of steroids that modulates body’s immune-response.

    The treatment for this rare infection is very complex.

    However, even for this condition, effective and high-quality treatment is being offered by AIIMS at Raipur, Jodhpur, Patna, Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar and Bhopal, besides some other which are not yet fully functional, the statement added.

  • Indian Navy readies 3 hospitals with oxygen beds for COVID-19 patients

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command (WNC) has readied three of its hospitals with oxygen beds for COVID-19 patients, an official said on Thursday.

    The Navy has made arrangements for COVID-19 patients at INHS Jeevanti in Goa, INHS Patanjali in Karwar, Karnataka and INHS Sandhani in Mumbai, an official release issued here stated.

    Facilities have been set up in the Navy’s premises in Mumbai to provide basic amenities to migrant labourers so that they are not compelled to travel to their hometowns amid the pandemic, the release said.

    The Naval authorities are also in touch with civil administration and all preparatory actions have been stepped up to offer any COVID-19 contingency assistance, if requested, the statement said.

    INHS Asvini in Mumbai has readied composite teams for deployment at short notice, including medical and non-medical persons trained as “Battle Field Nursing Assistants” to man hospitals being set up for COVID-19 care in different parts of the country.

    As COVID-19 cases surge in the county, three naval hospitals under the Western Naval Command viz., INHS Jeevanti, Goa, INHS Patanjali, Karwar and INHS Sandhani, Mumbai have been kept ready for use by the civil administration. @indiannavy pic.twitter.com/7JG4g5MbKH
    — रक्षा मंत्री कार्यालय/ RMO India (@DefenceMinIndia) April 29, 2021

    Meanwhile, Naval authorities at Karwar have made arrangements for aiding nearly 1,500 migrant labourers by supplying of essential items, rations and basic healthcare, it was stated.

    According to the statement, INHS Patanjali, the first Armed Forces hospital to treat civilian COVID-19 patients last year, is prepared to receive civilian patients again if there is any emergent requirement.

    In addition to earmarking some COVID-19 oxygen beds for civilians at INHS Jeevanti, Headquarters Goa Naval Area, the Navy is exploring the provision of providing oxygen to civil hospitals based on requests received from the administration, it was stated.

    The Gujarat Naval Area has offered support to the civil administration for transporting critical medical stores or equipment to COVID-19 affected areas, setting up community kitchens for the poor and other technical help.

    Presently, all Navy hospitals are vaccinating service personnel, their dependents, defence civilians and their dependents as per guidelines.

    Once people in the age group of 18 to 44 are vaccinated starting May 1, the Navy will also consider the feasibility of extending the vaccination facility to civil population in the vicinity.

    Even as the Command is geared up to offer all possible assistance to civil administration in tackling the health crisis, the operational naval units continue to be mission- deployed towards ensuring security and stability in the maritime domain, it was stated.