Kottayam: District authorities are setting up more COVID-19 treatment centres following the rapid and severe spread of SARS-CoV-19, the disease-causing virus, in Kottayam.
Authorities were forced to make alternative arrangements after a spurt in patients in government-run and private hospitals.
Shortage of vaccines meant to inoculate people against COVID-19 has added to Kottayam’s woes. Several people, who had received the first dose of the immunization drug, have not been administered the second dose even after the expiry of the stipulated time frame.
Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 patients in the district have been spiralling towards the 20,000 mark. Though the test positivity rate (TPR) in the district has been pegged below 20 per cent, 54 local bodies reported it to be above 20 per cent.
The Chembu grama panchayat reported a TPR of 56 per cent, while it has been above 40 per cent at Maravanthuruthu, Thalayazham and Udayanapuram panchayats.
The vaccination drive, meanwhile, has been progressing at 35 taluk-level centres. There were complaints of people who had registered online not getting the inoculation drug against COVID-19 even after days of waiting.
The district administration has opened seven new treatment centres. The district’s two COVID-19 hospitals have 120 vacant beds and 60 others in the private sector. The health department statistics said there were 1,600 beds vacant in treatment centres, including in the First-line COVID-19 Treatment Centres.
Meanwhile, there have also been complaints of several hospitals turning patients away.
Oxygen crisis
A shortage of medical oxygen at the General Hospital, Pala, was solved after more cylinders were borrowed from private hospitals. The hospital experienced a shortage after it had to admit COVID-19 patients in large numbers.
Four oxygen cylinders were brought to the General Hospital from the Little Lourdes Mission Hospital at Kidangoor, two from Marian Medical Centre at Pala, five from Mar Sleeva Medicity, and another seven from the District and Medical College hospitals.
Thomas Chazhikadan, MP, and Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K Mani intervened in ensuring adequate oxygen at the General Hospital.
The hospital faced the shortage after patients occupied all its 105 COVID-19 beds on Monday. Though the hospital required 240 cylinders of oxygen a day, it currently has only 62. Cylinders were being filled in Thrissur, and a vehicle normally took six hours for the round journey, causing a delay in replenishing the oxygen stock.
Though 42 cylinders of medical oxygen were brought from Ernakulam, the crisis persisted. Oxygen borrowed from private hospitals should be returned.
Meanwhile, Pala Municipality initiated steps to get oxygen cylinders on rent, said chairman Anto Jose Padinjarekkara and standing committee chief Baiju Kollamparambil. The hospital authorities recommended the district health department to set up an oxygen plant on their premises.
The Government Hospital at Uzhavoor, too, faced a shortage of oxygen. The oxygen-COVID-19 second-line treatment centre has been functioning out of the hospital. The shortage had not affected the patients. Lack of a storage facility led to the shortage, though oxygen has been delivered daily to the hospital.
Other hospitals, including the Medical College, have adequate oxygen.
