Covid-19: Additional 100 ventilators in govt hospitals in Dakshina Kannada

With the surge in Covid-19 infection in the Dakshina Kannada district, the district administration has decided to add an additional 100 ventilator beds across the district.

The ventilator beds will also be decentralised, to ensure that number of patients getting admitted to Wenlock Hospital are reduced. Ventilators are being provided to all the taluk-level hospitals, said Deputy Commissioner Dr Rajendra K V.

The deputy commissioner said that ICU and ventilator supported beds are the need of the hour. All measures will be taken to implement the same.

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Already, five ventilators each have been installed at the taluk government hospitals by the district administration. In addition, anesthesiologists have been appointed in all the taluk hospitals. With this, 25 ventilators have been installed outside Mangaluru. This will also reduce the pressure on Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru, he added.

The number of ventilators in the district Wenlock Hospital has also been increased. A 30 bedded ICU with ventilators have been readied in the first floor of the Wenlock Hospital. The government will deploy 21 PG medical students to the hospital shortly.

Rajendra said that Ullal and Uppinangady Community Health Centres will be upgraded. There are plans to provide 10 beds each with ventilators to these two CHCs.

He said the patients from neighbouring districts, including Uttara Kannada, Kasargod and Kannur districts were getting admitted to Wenlock Hospital.

Hence, there is a need to increase the number of ventilators. By the month-end, an additional 80 to 100 ventilator beds will be installed.

KMC expert Dr Farhan Fazal said, "There is a need to create awareness among patients on early diagnosis and treatment of Covid-19 infected patients. If the patients are treated at the initial stage, then there is no need for treatment using ventilator and ICU."