ONGOLE: Ongole Government General Hospital (GGH-RIMS), which is the District Covid-19 Hospital, is facing bed shortage with the rise in corona cases in Prakasam. The corona count in the district increased to 1,975 with 124 new cases emerged on Wednesday. After the discharge of 70 patients, the number of active cases is 494.
The total bed strength of the hospital is 450, including 50 newly arranged ones. Due to shortage of beds, 44 patients were shifted to four Aarogyasri empanelled private hospitals. The GGH authorities are finding it difficult to accommodate new patients as corona cases are on the rise. The district has already crossed 1 lakh-mark in sample testing. Results of 7,500 samples are awaited. As many as 483 primary and secondary contacts of Covid-19 cases are housed in quarantine centres.
“We are facing bed shortage in the GGH with the steep rise in corona cases. We have already informed the matter to the higher authorities and they are making alternative arrangements. Already, we are sending some Covid-19 patients to four Aarogyasri empanelled private hospitals. We are planning to increase the bed strength in the hospital as per requirement,” Dr D Sreeramulu, Superintendent of GGH, told TNIE.
The District General Hospital at Markapur is also not able to cater the needs Covid patients fully due to inadequate medical staff and lack of proper infrastructure.
A couple posted a video of poor facilities in their isolation room on social media on Wednesday, which went viral. Having learnt about it, the hospital staff shifted the couple to Ongole GGH. “We don’t know about the difficulties faced by that couple here. They were shifted to Ongole GGH. We are trying our level best to provide quality medical services to corona patients,” said Dr Vijayalakshmi, Hospital Superintendent.