Bengaluru to get eight makeshift ICUs with 2,000 beds soon

Bengaluru reported 13,640 new cases on Wednesday with 200 of them being in ICUs

As Bengaluru has run out of ICU beds, especially those with ventilators, the city will soon get eight makeshift ICUs in eight zones of BBMP. This will add 2,000 ICU beds to the city’s bed strength, announced Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar here on Wednesday.

Bengaluru reported 13,640 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday with 200 of them being in ICUs. With a positivity rate of 15.45%, the city is expected to soon add more cases to its active caseload.

“Within 15 days, these modular ICUs will come up across eight zones of Bengaluru. Each ICU will have 200 beds going up to 250. We also need to consider human resources, as getting them overnight is not going to be easy. But we are working towards it. The department is working out details about the equipment too,” Sudhakar said.

With people scrambling to get Remdesivir, a drug to treat Covid-19, and oxygen, the state has set up a 24/7 call centre where hospitals short of either of them can call to seek help. The call centre can be reached at 8951755722 and can handle 10 calls at a time.

“We have taken steps to add another 11 distributors to supply Remdesivir. Officers of the Drugs Control department have also been deputed to all 17 oxygen supplying units in three shifts to facilitate supply to hospitals,” Sudhakar said.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has sought 1,500 tonnes of oxygen from the Centre every day.

“Three hundred tonnes of oxygen has been earmarked for Karnataka. Since cases are increasing, we may need 500–600 tonnes by the end of this month and 1,500 tonnes by the end of next month. I have also requested the Centre to supply additional oxygen,” said the Minister.

Private medical colleges in Bengaluru have reserved 4,000 beds for Covid-19 patients, while government medical colleges have reserved 1,000 beds, government hospitals 1,409 and private hospitals 7,442 beds.