While the State’s health infrastructure is currently being overburdened with rising Covid-19 cases, private hospitals and nursing homes, though with limited staff and facilities are contributing in a major way to help ease the situation, especially in Dimapur district.
Private hospitals like Olive Christian Hospital & Research Centre, Nikos Hospital & Research Centre, Eden Medical Centre, Faith Hospital and Institute of Medical Sciences, Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research Centre and Zion Hospital have made adequate preparations for treating Covid-19 patients by creating separate Covid wards.
Olive Christian Hospital & Research Centre’s Covid centre coordinator Dr Heman Prasad told Nagaland Post that the hospital had reserved 40 beds for Covid patients, of which 35 were oxygen-supported beds and five non-oxygen supported beds.
The hospital had 35 oxygen cylinders (20 type ‘B’ and 15 type ‘D’), Prasad added.
He mentioned that though currently the hospital did not have intensive care unit (ICU) facility dedicated to Covid, there was a plan to have the facility, if required.
Similarly, at Eden Medical Centre, there are 25 Covid beds, 11 intensive care unit beds with one ventilator and 14 high dependency units (HDUs), besides 69 oxygen cylinders (29 type ‘B’ and 40 type ‘D’). And barring one ICU bed, almost all the beds were occupied till the filling of this report.
Further, Faith Hospital and Institute of Medical Sciences PRO said the hospital had altogether 70 oxygen cylinders, 33 type ‘D’ cylinders and 37 type ‘B’ cylinders, besides having six ventilators. And out of the 41 Covid beds, 31 beds have been occupied, he added.
Zion Hospital has 10 Covid beds, including two ICU beds with ventilator, four HDUs and four oxygen-supported beds, besides 100 cylinders (70 type ‘B’ and 30 type ‘D’). And currently, eight beds have been occupied.
CIHSR has presently 104 Covid beds, two ICUs and has 12 ventilators. The hospital will soon have an additional 176 beds for covid patients. According to CIHSR director Dr SedeviAngami, the hospital has more than 60 plus oxygen beds, of which around 50% have been occupied at present.
Nikos Hospital & Research Centre has 14 Covid beds, of which 13 are occupied, four ICU beds, 43 oxygen cylinders (21 type ‘B’ and 22 type ‘D’) and three ventilators.
According to sources, most covid-wards under private hospitals are already almost full while the number of staff for covid wards are not adequate. Most covid patients in the second pandemic wave suffer largely from lung infections or pneumonia caused by covid-19. Most do not realise that breathlessness is a danger sign among covid patients. Delay in rushing to hospital for treatment of breathing difficulties can prove fatal. Most deaths even among the young the healthy are due to delay in treating the problem.