Cases increase in Tamil Nadu, but health infrastructure saves the day for now

The new government that assumed office four days back has promised an additional 12,000 oxygen beds by the next week

Covid-19 cases have been witnessing an exponential increase in Tamil Nadu in the past few weeks, but the health care system has not collapsed much like many other states. The situation in both government and private health care facilities in the state seems under control for now, though the demand for oxygen and waiting time to get a hospital bed are increasing each passing day.

At last count on Monday evening, Tamil Nadu had 1,52,389 active cases of which 35,153 were from the capital city of Chennai. ICU and oxygen beds in Chennai, and other major cities like Salem, Coimbatore, and Madurai are fast filling up as the state continues to add at least 25,000 fresh cases a day.

However, the health infrastructure built over the years and augmented after the first wave of Covid-19, is helping the state handle ever-burgeoning cases. But the situation may go out of control if the cases don't slow down after a week or so.

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The new government that assumed office four days back has promised to ensure that an additional 12,000 oxygen beds will be ready in the next one week, even as oxygen requirement has increased manifold in the past one month. Based on the request by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the Centre had on May 8 revised the oxygen allocation for Tamil Nadu to 419 MT, though the state government has estimated that the requirement will go up to 840 MT in the next two weeks.

The government is also providing oxygen cylinders to private hospitals that are in need of them to treat patients requiring O2 support – it has also asked officials to ensure that there is no oxygen wastage in the state.

The new administration has also constituted a War Room that is functioning as the single nodal point for Covid-19 containment efforts like requirement of oxygen, bed availability in both private and government medical facilities, and monitoring requests for admissions or support to critically-ill patients, including on social media.

Special counters have been opened in Chennai, and four other cities for sale of Remdesivir to prevent the drug being sold in the black market. In Chennai, which has maximum cases in the state, government hospitals have been asked not to turn away anyone for lack of bed, with Covid-19 positive patients being forced to wait inside the ambulance van for hours together.

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“We waited inside the ambulance van for a few hours, and outside the step-down ward at a medical college in Chennai for another couple of hours. After eight hours, my husband was admitted to the hospital. Though the waiting time was gruelling, we had no option. However, he is doing fine now,” Latha, a resident of Poonamallee in Chennai, told DH.

The triage method of assessing patients immediately after they test positive for the novel Coronavirus and deciding their treatment protocol as per their health condition is cited as one of the reasons for “less pressure” on hospital beds.

Leading epidemiologist Dr Jayaprakash Muliyil told DH that Tamil Nadu was “way ahead” of many other states in handling the number of patients due to the health care infrastructure both on the government and private side.

“The spread has to come down, and it (virus) cannot survive for long. In some areas in Chennai, especially in slums, which were red areas last time are reaping the benefits now as the reinfection rate is by and large very less,” he said.

Special counters have been opened in Chennai, and four other cities for the sale of Remdesivir to prevent the drug from being sold in the black market. In Chennai, which has maximum cases in the state, government hospitals have been asked not to turn away anyone for lack of bed, though Covid-19 positive patients wait inside ambulance vans for hours together.

“We waited inside the ambulance van for a few hours, and outside the step-down ward at a medical college in Chennai for another couple of hours. After eight hours, my husband was admitted to the hospital. Though the waiting time was gruelling, we had no option. However, he is doing fine now,” Latha, a resident of Poonamallee in Chennai, told DH.

The triage method of assessing patients immediately after they test positive for the novel coronavirus and deciding their treatment protocol as per their health condition is cited as one of the reasons for “less pressure” on hospital beds.

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Leading epidemiologist Dr Jayaprakash Muliyil told DH that Tamil Nadu was “way ahead” of many other states in handling the number of patients due to the health care infrastructure both on the government and private side.

“The spread has to come down, and it (virus) cannot survive for long. In some areas in Chennai, especially in slums, which were red areas last time are reaping the benefits now as the reinfection rate is by and large very less,” he said.