Covid-19 bed occupancy high in Chennai, Vellore

CHENNAI: The percentage of Covid-19 patients requiring admissions is shrinking by the day amid the Omicron-fuelled surge in cases. However, over the last week, the number of patients getting admitted in ICU wards have nearly doubled. Health officials say the occupancy rate is 27% in Vellore district, which has tertiary facilities.

On Sunday, 11% of the 75,000 isolation beds -- non oxygen, oxygen and ICU -- in the state were occupied compared to 8% a week ago on January 9.During the same period, the occupancy of ICU beds doubled to nearly 8%. In at least nine districts, including Chennai (14%), the occupancy rate is above the state average. “People from several other districts and states come to hospitals here for treatment,” said health secretary J Radhakrishnan.
The state health department said there is no need to panic. “We cannot compare this wave with the previous wave when we were short of beds, oxygen and lifesaving drugs. Nearly 90% of hospital beds in the state are still vacant across the state,” said health minister Ma Subramanian. Data show that around 6% of the active patients require hospitalisation and 0.5% of them require ICU admissions.
However, the biggest worry for the state is that nearly 37% of the 10 lakh senior citizens (above 60 years) – nearly 3.9 lakh people — have not taken even the first dose of vaccine. And more than half of them haven’t been fully vaccinated.
“The risk of hospitalisation, ICU admissions and deaths is very high in this group. Vaccines are provided free of cost and there is no shortage. We want everyone to take at least two doses,” Subramanian said.
On Monday, 16 of the 20 Covid deaths reported by the state were above the age of 60. An equal number of senior citizens were on the Sunday’s list too. “The risk of deaths is high among people above 60 years and comorbid conditions worsen it. We have seen vaccines providing immense benefit,” said director of public health Dr TS Selvavinayagam.