<p>The Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) on Tuesday suggested to the government to reserve 800 beds each in 12 of city’s private medical colleges for Covid patients. </p>.<p>In a letter written to Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, the association said the colleges had more clinical and paraclinical manpower than private hospitals. </p>.<p>Meanwhile, Bowring Hospital became the second government facility to stop taking non-Covid patients on Tuesday except in emergencies. Along with the 750-bedded Victoria Hospital, Bowring will be turned into a Covid-only hospital. </p>.<p>BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the civic body needed at least 11,000 beds, far more than the existing 6,000. </p>.<p>“On average, 12 private medical colleges in the city are providing 285 beds each to government–quota Covid patients when they each have 1,000 beds or more,” PHANA’s Secretary Dr Y L Rajashekar said. </p>.<p>“They have faculty and postgraduates spread across pre-and paraclinical departments. The total pool for Covid patients can be raised to 8,000 beds if each college can be asked to reserve up to 800 beds or more including government and own quota,” Dr Rajashekar said. </p>.<p>But Dr Sanjiv Lewin, medical superintendent of St John’s Hospital, one of the 12 private colleges, said bed reservation was not just arithmetic. </p>.<p>“Each medical college has to be looked at separately. At present, we have 527 sick non-Covid patients. We had 750 non-Covid patients just a week ago.”</p>.<p>“As they get better and stabilised, we’re rapidly discharging them. We have climbed from 32 Covid patients to 398 Covid patients in ten days in both government and private quotas,” he said. </p>.<p>Though the medical college hospital has 1,350 beds, only 750 should be taken for calculation since the rest were essential beds, Dr Lewin explained. </p>.<p>“We have 38 dialysis beds and 42 emergency beds,” Lewin said. “The only burns unit outside Victoria Hospital is ours with eight beds that can be expanded to 17 beds for plastic surgery patients in an emergency. We have 35 newborn beds.</p>.<p>The number of available beds is actually 750, out of which more than half are already occupied with Covid patients.” </p>.<p>Dr Naresh Shetty, president, MS Ramaiah Hospital, said: “The question is about having enough manpower.” The private medical college already has more than 600 Covid patients out of 1,000 beds. Their ICU has maximum patients who need more care, Dr Shetty said. </p>.<p>“Severe Covid patients need more personnel and then they must be given a break after seven days of work. Beyond a certain point, the quality of care will suffer,” he explained.</p>
<p>The Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) on Tuesday suggested to the government to reserve 800 beds each in 12 of city’s private medical colleges for Covid patients. </p>.<p>In a letter written to Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar, the association said the colleges had more clinical and paraclinical manpower than private hospitals. </p>.<p>Meanwhile, Bowring Hospital became the second government facility to stop taking non-Covid patients on Tuesday except in emergencies. Along with the 750-bedded Victoria Hospital, Bowring will be turned into a Covid-only hospital. </p>.<p>BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta said the civic body needed at least 11,000 beds, far more than the existing 6,000. </p>.<p>“On average, 12 private medical colleges in the city are providing 285 beds each to government–quota Covid patients when they each have 1,000 beds or more,” PHANA’s Secretary Dr Y L Rajashekar said. </p>.<p>“They have faculty and postgraduates spread across pre-and paraclinical departments. The total pool for Covid patients can be raised to 8,000 beds if each college can be asked to reserve up to 800 beds or more including government and own quota,” Dr Rajashekar said. </p>.<p>But Dr Sanjiv Lewin, medical superintendent of St John’s Hospital, one of the 12 private colleges, said bed reservation was not just arithmetic. </p>.<p>“Each medical college has to be looked at separately. At present, we have 527 sick non-Covid patients. We had 750 non-Covid patients just a week ago.”</p>.<p>“As they get better and stabilised, we’re rapidly discharging them. We have climbed from 32 Covid patients to 398 Covid patients in ten days in both government and private quotas,” he said. </p>.<p>Though the medical college hospital has 1,350 beds, only 750 should be taken for calculation since the rest were essential beds, Dr Lewin explained. </p>.<p>“We have 38 dialysis beds and 42 emergency beds,” Lewin said. “The only burns unit outside Victoria Hospital is ours with eight beds that can be expanded to 17 beds for plastic surgery patients in an emergency. We have 35 newborn beds.</p>.<p>The number of available beds is actually 750, out of which more than half are already occupied with Covid patients.” </p>.<p>Dr Naresh Shetty, president, MS Ramaiah Hospital, said: “The question is about having enough manpower.” The private medical college already has more than 600 Covid patients out of 1,000 beds. Their ICU has maximum patients who need more care, Dr Shetty said. </p>.<p>“Severe Covid patients need more personnel and then they must be given a break after seven days of work. Beyond a certain point, the quality of care will suffer,” he explained.</p>
