Mandya district staring at ventilator shortage

With just 18 ventilators and a limited number of intensive care units (ICUs) at their disposal, the Mandya district administration and the district Health department are faced with a Herculean task in tackling the eventualities arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS), which has been known as Doddaspatri of the district, has a total of 17 ICUs. This includes nine in Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), seven Respiratory ICUs, one for the Cardiology department. Each unit has 10-bed facility to treat the patients.

But, there are just 10 ventilators in the district hospital. The authorities concerned had not taken this seriously so far, as they had not faced such a situation
before.

The taluk hospitals in Srirangapatna, Pandavapura, Malavalli lack a ventilator facility. But, the hospitals in K R Pet and Nagamangala taluks have three ventilators each. Each taluk hospital has one ICU ward.

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District Health Officer Dr H P Manchegowda explained that in case the ventilators in government hospitals are insufficient, ventilators from the private hospitals would be used. The Deputy Commissioner had already held a meeting with the private hospital doctors in this regard. Besides, the new building that has been constructed at MIMS would be used for the treatment of the COVID-19 patients, he said.

The Health officials are monitoring people, who have returned from China, Dubai, London and other countries. Taluk medical officers and police personnel visit their houses every day and check their medical updates. The persons returned from the foreign tour and their family members have been strictly told not to come out of the house, as a precautionary measure.