Covid-19 crisis: Assam govt fears shortage of hospital beds, ICUs

With over 4,000 new COVID-19 cases being reported daily since May 1, the Assam government fears that the state could face shortage of hospital beds and ICU facilities if the trend continues for at least a week.

The state on Monday reported 4,498 new cases while 29 persons died due to the deadly virus infection. The state capital Guwahati reported 1,646 positive cases on Monday, which was the highest single-day spike in the city since the pandemic started last year.

The positivity rate stood at 8.01% on Monday out of 55,000 tests. The state at present has over 26,000 active positive cases.

"The way we are reporting nearly 5,000 cases daily since May 1, the situation may become difficult to handle if the trend continues for another week. We may run short of hospital beds in Guwahati. There are only six ICU beds left in our Gauhati Medical College Hospital at present and we are trying to increase the numbers in our new building," health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters on Tuesday.

The state government on Tuesday imposed stricter restrictions on movement and activities of people in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. The government ordered that all shops must be closed by 2pm and the timing of night curfew has been advanced by two hours, from 8pm to 6pm now.

Classes X and XII examinations conducted by the state boards have also been postponed till further orders.

Sarma said the health department has recruited 760 newly passed out medical graduates and they would be posted in the state's hopitals at the district level and others in order to tackle the shortage of doctors. "Normally, the newly passed medical graduates are posted in rural areas for three years, but now we have posted them in hospitals to cater to the COVID crisis," he said.

The opposition parties feared that the situation could turn worse, given the fact that the new government is yet to take oath even as the results of the Assembly elections was declared on May 2. The BJP and its allies won 75 of 126 seats, but the new government is yet to take oath as BJP has remained undecided over who would be the next CM: Sarbananda Sonowal or Himanta Biswa Sarma.

"It is the common people who are suffering due to the tussle over the CM post. The Covid situation may turn worse if the new government does not take charge immediately and take appropriate steps to control the situation," Congress MLA, Rupjyoti Kurmi said.