The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : More ICU beds sanctioned for government hospitals

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Saturday, May 24, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

More ICU beds sanctioned for government hospitals

Divya Gandhi and Deepa Kurup

Hooch casualties bring into focus inadequate infrastructure

19 ventilators and 30 ICU beds sanctioned
They will be in place within three months

Bangalore: In the wake of the severe shortage of intensive care units (ICU) and ventilators in government hospitals brought to light again by the hooch tragedy, the State Government sanctioned 19 ventilators and 30 ICU beds each to Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital and Victoria Hospital.

Only five ICU beds are in all five government hospitals that come under Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI). These hospitals – Victoria, Bowring, Vani Villas, Institute of Chest Diseases and Minto Hospital – together have 2,954 beds.

Bowring and Victoria will get 70 medical staff each, all of this at a cost of Rs. 11 crore, Secretary of Medical Education M.K. Shankaralinge Gowda told The Hindu.

“The proposal was approved by the Executive Committee of the Governor on May 20. These trauma centres will be operational in three months after staff is recruited and infrastructure procured,” Mr. Gowda said.

This had been a long-pending demand, said S. Rajanna, Resident Medical Officer of Bowring Hospital, which had 876 beds, including 20 ventilator cots but no ventilators. “Even on an average day we receive two or three cases of poisoning or trauma that need ventilator support. We generally refer patients to Victoria, and if the beds are occupied there, we ask them to consider a private hospital,” he said.

Additional burden

Victoria Hospital bears the additional burden of having to accommodate critical patients from all government hospitals and even maternity clinics in their ICUs. “Every other day, we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot accommodate trauma patients because we don’t have enough beds,” said B.G. Tilak, Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital.

“Besides patients referred from other government hospitals, we have to deal with poor people who are extorted by private hospitals and then come to us,” he added.

However, until the proposed facilities were in place, the present arrangement to accommodate hooch patients in private hospitals at government cost would remain, Mr. Gowda said.

With hundreds of people admitted to hospital this week and many in dire need of ventilators, the BMCRI had asked Bowring and Victoria to pay private hospitals through the Arogya Raksha Samithi Funds (originally meant for hospital improvement) which would be reimbursed at a later date.

The BMCRI had sought Rs. 18 crore for Bowring and Victoria Hospitals.

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