AHMEDABAD: On April 23, Ahmedabad city had 5,602 beds in 81 hospitals designated by the AMC as Covid-19 hospitals.
Out of the total, 98% of the beds were occupied with 12 beds vacant for critical and oxygen categories having 3,517 beds in total.
After 40 days, the ratio has reversed, as just 2% of the 4,630 Covid-19 beds in 114 hospitals were occupied on Saturday, with only 105 critical and oxygen category beds occupied out of 2,963 beds available.
With the peak of the second wave over, the city – that had recorded 5,790 daily cases on April 25 – has also heaved a sigh of relief with several of the designated hospitals recording zero patients in isolation and oxygen dependency categories.
Dr Bharat Gadhvi, president of Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (AHNA), said that from the start of June, the number of Covid patients has reduced drastically for the majority of the hospitals.
“Several have now gone back to their original specialities by reducing the number of Covid beds gradually,” he said.
“But it’s with the condition that they can increase the beds again when the need arises.
It’s surely a positive sign that the bed occupancy is one of the lowest in 2021.” AHNA records showed that on Saturday morning, the city hospitals had 114 patients, which was second only to 85 patients recorded on February 15.
In terms of percentage, it’s one of the lowest, added AHNA officials.
Shifting of non-Covid patients to other sections has also reduced the number drastically, said Dr Rohit Joshi, medical director of Aarna Hospital based in Paldi and Maninagar.
“At its peak, we used to have 100% occupancy at 37 ICU and ventilator beds in our hospitals for 35 days.
We used to refuse about 100-odd calls daily.
Today, we don’t have any Covid positive patients at our facility,” he said.
“The reason is, several of these patients, having post-Covid complications, are shifted to non-Covid facilities.” Even at government hospitals, the numbers are all-time low.
Dr JP Modi, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital, said that out of 1200 beds, only 120 or 10% beds are occupied.
“Several wards have been closed down or are given for purposes such as treatment of mucormycosis patients in the building,” he said.
Dr Pina Soni, medical superintendent of Sola Civil Hospital, said that they have five active Covid-19 patients in 130 designated beds.
Both the hospitals now witness more patients who have post-Covid symptoms, said senior health department officials.
Covid bed occupancy drops from 98% to 2% in Ahmedabad
