West Bengal to add 435 child intensive care beds

KOLKATA: The state health department has decided to increase the number of PICU (paediatric intensive care unit) beds further before the possible third wave. Earlier, the department had sanctioned 244 PICU beds across 21 hospitals. Health officials now have decided to augment the paediatric Covid-19 facilities by adding 435 more PICU beds, almost double of what had been initially planned.
In addition, Swasthya Bhavan has also told two hospitals to keep 90 NICU (newborn intensive care units) beds ready for tending to affected infants.While 80 NICU beds will be kept ready at IPGMER (SSKM) Hospital, 10 other such beds will be set up at Murshidabad Medical College.

“It may please be borne in mind that these units are to be made functional within a very short period of time to combat the probable surge in Covid-19 cases. Thus, all civil, electrical and medical oxygen pipeline work should be completed at the earliest,” said the order from the health department on Friday.
State’s referral hospital for children, Dr BC Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences (DBCRPGIPS), will have the highest number of PICU beds. In addition to the initially sanctioned 24 PICU beds, the hospital has been asked to add 72 more PICU beds.
“The additional 72 beds will come up on our second campus in Beliaghata while 24 others are getting ready on our main campus,” said DBCRPGIPS principal Dilip Pal.
“The second wave surge was sudden and huge leaving the healthcare system overwhelmed. It is a great move that our health department is constantly upgrading facilities. We are augmenting our facilities in sync with plans by health officials,” said Chittaranjan Seva Sadan (CSS) principal Ashish Mukhopadhyay.
While CSS is ready with 24 PICU beds, the hospital has to add 12 more such beds, which, the principal said should be ready in about two weeks.
“This kind of preparedness is of utmost necessary to combat any public health emergency related to children. At the same time, this kind of decentralization of facilities by the health department will be beneficial for local people,” said Swasthya Bhavan public health specialist Anirban Dalui.