COVID-19 surge in Kolkata: Private hospitals reopen COVID wards

Kolkata: The state's private hospitals have decided to reopen the Covid wards again since Bengal has been witnessing a surge in COVID-19 cases.

The private hospitals in the state were earlier using the covid wards as the non-Covid wards for providing treatment to the patients. Since the rate of Covid cases is increasing each day, the hospitals have decided to bring the Covid ward back again.

Peerless Hospital, RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS), Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Charnock Hospital and Woodlands Hospitals are the five hospitals that have reopened the Covid wards. Other private hospitals are in the process of reopening soon. 

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A 40-bedded Covid ward has been reopened on Thursday at the Peerless hospital along with 8 beds at the ITU unit. As many as nine Covid-positive patients are admitted to the Covid ward of the hospital and one to the ITU.

An 8-bed Covid ward has been reopened at RTIICS on Thursday with four Covid patients admitted to the hospital. The hospital has also arranged a 6-bed Covid ICU ward.

A 10-bed ITU unit for Covid has been reopened at the Medica Superspecialty Hospital with three Covid patients admitted. The hospital will open a full ward if the Covid patients admitted to the ward crosses to 10.

A 7-bed Covid ward including an ICU has been opened at the Charnock Hospital with three Covid patients admitted to the ward. The hospital is on the verge of opening a separate ward since the cases are rising. On the other hand, Woodlands hospital has increased to a 12-bed covid ward with seven Covid patients admitted.

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Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipto Mitra told TOI, "There has been a sudden spurt in admissions and a ward is now necessary to maintain isolation. Most of our patients, however, have mild Covid symptoms and more serious co-morbidities, apart from one who is admitted to ITU. If the number of admissions keeps rising, we might reserve more ITU beds for Covid."

RTIICS zonal head R Venkatesh said "All four of our patients have severe comorbidities which have been worsened by Covid. A couple is renal failure patients who tested positive on admission. All are immuno-compromised and their Covid needs to be controlled immediately."

AMRI CEO Rupak Barua said "We had nine patients till earlier this week and the number is rising. Our Covid task force is monitoring the situation. We are in the process of reopening a Covid ward soon."