Gujarat: Only 152 Oxygen Beds Available for COVID-19 Patients in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, April 28: With only 152 oxygen beds available at hospitals, the civic body in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city has appealed to citizens to avoid stepping out of their homes unless absolutely necessary, an official said on Wednesday.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had doubled the overall bed capacity at hospitals in a month and half, and added more than 2,000 oxygen beds in the last 15 days alone.

In a release issued on Tuesday night, the civic body said only 152 critical care (oxygen + ICU) beds are now available with city hospitals, which are also getting filled fast.

With the number of coronavirus cases increasing in the city by the day, hospitals are flooded with patients. At least 800 patients from outside Ahmedabad are also being treated in city hospitals, the AMC said.

A total of 168 hospitals have been designated as COVID-19 hospitals and 180 nursing homes as COVID-19 care centres, with more than 15,000 beds, out of which 7,500 beds were added in over the last one and a half months, it said.

"Several hospitals in Ahmedabad are flooded with patients from other parts of Gujarat and other states. It is estimated that 800 patients from outside Ahmedabad are being treated at hospitals in the city," the release stated.

As a result of this, most of the hospitals in Medicity, Sola Civil and four AMC hospitals, including SVP, VS, LG and Shardaben, are full, the civic body said.

"At present, most patients require oxygen, and as on today, only 152 oxygen beds are available in all hospitals of Ahmedabad put together for COVID-19 treatment," it said.

The AMC has employed a workforce of over 25,000 Covid warriors to deal with the situation, it said, adding that proactive efforts of people are also required.

"Since the infection is at its peak, people should not move out unless it is absolutely necessary," it further said.

At least 12,500 patients are currently being treated in over 350 hospitals and nursing homes, it said.

The AMC said it has supplied over 94,000 Remdesivir injections, an anti-viral used to treat critical COVID-19 patients, to 315 COVID-19 hospitals since the first week of April.

The drug should only be administered to needy patients and not to those in home isolation, it said.

Ahmedabad city on Tuesday recorded 5,669 COVID-19 cases and 26 fatalities that took the tally of infections in the city to 13,38,725 and toll to 2,747 deaths. The city currently has 51,905 active cases.