Faced with shortage of oxygenated beds, Pune hospital creates 'triage'
In an indication that the healthcare system in Maharashtra might get overwhelmed in the coming days because of the huge rise in the COVID-19 cases, a civic-run hospital near Pune was forced to set up a triage facility outside the hospital. The facility will provide oxygen support to patients while the available number of oxygenated beds remained occupied.
Pune reported record 12,494 cases in last 24 hours
Pune district reported a record 12,494 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 5,74,829, the third consecutive day when new case addition peaks were touched, according to an official.
Shortage of beds in hospitals as cases continue to rise
With the number of cases rising sharply in the Pune district, there is a shortage of beds in hospitals. A senior official said that the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) in Pimpri Chinchwad city reached the "threshold of available oxygenated beds" on Sunday, forcing the authorities to set up a medical triage area outside the facility.
Five beds have been kept at the hospital's triage area
"Out of 432 beds available for COVID-19 patients, 55 are ICU beds and the rest are oxygenated beds," said Dr. Rajendra Wable, Dean, YCMH. "As the hospital on Sunday reached the threshold of the number of the oxygenated beds available, and to provide immediate relief to patients, authorities have created a triage area outside the hospital where five beds are kept," he said.
What is a triage area?
In medical parlance, a triage area or a station is set up when hospitals sort out priorities to treat people according to their need for emergency medical attention to determine who gets care first.
Nothing wrong with providing such support: Dr. Wable
"Till the time the paperwork is completed and the bed is made available to patients inside the YCMH hospital or any other COVID-19 facility, patients are being asked to remain in the triage area and oxygen support is provided as immediate relief," Dr. Wable said. "There was nothing wrong with providing such support in triage areas," he said.
Till Sunday, three patients given oxygen support at triage area
"Till 3:30 pm on Sunday, three patients were given oxygen support at the triage area as they were waiting to get beds inside the facility or at another hospital," Dr. Wable added. Meanwhile, the Pune Municipal Corporation's dashboards showed that beds were not available in the civic and private hospitals under the category of ICU beds with ventilator as of 8 pm on Sunday.
