Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, May 12: As COVID cases continue to surge in the Valley, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences today dedicated around 50-more beds for the COVID patients in the hospital.
In the order issued today, the SKIMS stated that the direction is being issued considering the growing number of COVID cases in the Valley. It stated keeping in view of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the Valley, the number of beds earmarked for the COVID-19 management at SKIMS need to be enhanced for critically sick patients who require tertiary care.
“Therefore, in continuation to the office order No SIMS 138/ 2021-660-75 dated 02.04.2021 and SIMS 10 of 20021 dated 24-04-2021 changes in bed distribution are ordered with immediate effect,” the order stated.
At least 5-wards with a capacity of around 50-beds have been dedicated to the COVID patients. The Ward 3P, 5A, 5P, 6, 7A have been reserved for the COVID care and arrangements are being made to make them functional as soon as possible. Presently, the COVID patients are admitted to seven wards of the hospital with a capacity of around 300 beds. In addition, the surgical observation of the hospital which houses 10-12 ventilators have been dedicated to the COVID patients.
Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Dr Farooq Jan, told Excelsior that the process of making these beds functional is underway.
The development has come when the hospital was running on full occupancy and patients were finding it hard to find beds for them. The occupancy levels for the ICU beds with and without ventilators were touching nearly 100 percent.
This has not only overburdened the hospital infrastructure but affected the treatment of COVID patients. “We needed this as more critical COVID patients are being referred to the hospital for the past two weeks. It will also relieve some burden on the existing infrastructure, but more beds need to be added as we are expecting more new admissions,” doctors said.
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