Hospitals Run Out Of Beds, Patients Lie On Floor: Reality Of Hospitals Coping With COVID Spike

As COVID cases register a record spike across the country, the lack and collapse of medical infrastructure is hitting the headlines again.

A video that has now gone viral on social media shows a government hospital hospital in Bhavnagar, Gujarat where patients are lying on the floor while others were seen on stretchers waiting to get admitted to the hospital.

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¡ª Shaktisinh Gohil (@shaktisinhgohil) April 7, 2021

The video was shared by Gujarat Congress MP Shaktisinh Gohil.

Odisha facing vaccine shortage

On Wednesday, Odisha urged the Centre to provide 15-20 lakh advance doses of Covishield. ¡°As on April 6th, we have stock of 3,47,180 doses of Covishield and 1,36,820 doses of Covaxin vaccine with peripheral Cold Chain Points."

Presently, there is NIL stock of Covishield vaccine in all Regional & District vaccine stores¡­,¡± said a letter from the state Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Secretary. ¡°We have closed 400 vaccination centres and the target is unattainable with the current shortage,¡± said Bijay Panigrahi, Director, Health and Family Welfare department.

Bed and vaccine shortage in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is staring at a shortage of both beds and vaccines.

The state is the worst-hit in the country, reporting around 60,000 fresh COVID cases everyday.

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The state is opening more COVID care centres in rural areas and roping in private hospital beds.

With the vaccine crisis, authorities have taken a call to shut private vaccination centers shut till Monday. However, government vaccination centers would remain open in the city.

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said a ¡°complete lockdown¡± of two to three weeks is required in the state to improve the health infrastructure.

Delhi struggles with ICU beds

The national capital is also staring at a bed shortage as COVID numbers surge.

The Delhi government on Thursday issued an order to further ramp up the number of beds at LNJP Hospital to 1,500 from 1,000 and that at GTB Hospital to 1,000 from 500.