Private hospitals in Karnataka asked to reserve 50% beds for Covid patients

Private hospitals in Karnataka have been asked to reserve 50 per cent of their beds for Covid patients, said K Sudhakar, Karnataka Health and Medical Education Minister.

Addressing media after a video conference with the Private Hospitals and Nursing Home Association (PHANA) on Monday, he said that private hospitals are advised to vacate beds occupied by non-Covid patients who don’t require hospitalisation and reserve the same for Covid patients.

“Private hospitals have agreed to reserve half the beds for Covid patients within a week. Asymptomatic patients and patients with mild symptoms will be isolated in hotels and Covid care centres. Only patients with severe conditions will be treated in hospitals,” he added.

Talking about Remdesivir shortage, the minister said, “Drug companies have stopped production of Remdesivir. We need this drug. Private hospitals have complained that the medicine is not available in the market. We will discuss the issue with drug controllers and supply the medicine to private hospitals at government rates.”

“We have taken measures to ensure sufficient quantities of ventilators and oxygen. If required industrial oxygen will be utilised,” he added.

Ugadi marks the beginning of new year as per Indian tradition. We celebrate it by having neem and jaggery symbolising good and bad, joy and sorrow of life. This Ugadi vaccine is the bella (jaggery) for defeating Covid which is bevu , he said.

“The government is aware that people are suffering due to the economic slowdown. There is no consideration of lockdown as of now,” said the Minister.

“We have done 2.2 crore Covid tests out of which 85 percent are RT-PCR,” he said.

Requesting people to co-operate in controlling the pandemic, he said “We have not said that lockdown will be imposed. But we are appealing to the public not to make lockdown inevitable.”

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