KOLKATA: Responding to a sharp drop in Covid admissions over the last two-three weeks, two city private hospitals have formally shut down their Covid units for the first time since the pandemic struck in March, 2020. Another is set to follow from Monday.
Even though several hospitals had been left without any Covid patient following the ebb of the third wave last February, the Covid units remained untouched. Last month, several hospitals shrunk the units drastically as the current surge waned.
Peerless Hospital, that had reduced its 40-bed Covid unit to a 15-bed one last week, has kept aside just six beds for Covid patients and shut the unit. The rest of the unit has been merged with an adjoining general ward. "Last week, we had taken out twenty-five beds from the Covid unit and the number has now gone up to 34. There is no Covid unit now, just a few isolated beds that will remain. This is the first time since the onset of the pandemic that we have withdrawn the Covid unit at Peerless," said hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.
AMRI Hospitals that reduced its Covid beds to 60 from 120 across its three centres last week will shut its Covid units from Monday. "Instead, we will have around six-seven isolated beds at each centre. We also plan to have single-bed isolated cabins when the number of patients reduce further. But there will be no separate Covid unit any more," said AMRI CEO Rupak Barua.
Woodlands Hospital has carved out 12 beds from its 28-bed Covid unit and converted it into a swine flu or H1N1 ward. "We have seen a steady drop in Covid admissions and now have just four Covid patients. We don't need a full-fledged unit," said Woodlands CEO Rupali Basu.
Peerless Hospital said it will squeeze its Covid beds further as more non-Covid patients are admitted. "Non-Covid admissions remain high and we need to accommodate these patients," said Mitra. He added that the Covid unit could be squeezed further if occupancy drops.
Charnock Hospital has reduced its Covid unit to 10 beds and has eight patients admitted. "We would have shut down the unit and transferred the Covid patients to isolated beds if we didn't have two buildings," said managing director Prashant Sharma.
Medica Superspecialty Hospital, too, had planned to shut its Covid unit but has seen a minor spurt in admissions. "We now have 12 patients so we will continue with 20 beds," said chairperson Alok Roy.
RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) has decided to continue with its 20-bed Covid unit. It now has 12 patents admitted, including five in critical care. "If the numbers come down over the next few days, we may plan to reduce the bed strength of the unit," said Narayana Hospitals zonal head R Venkatesh.
