JAIPUR: Despite a sharp decline in active cases from 2.12 lakh to 18,575 in 23 days, some 2,203 ICU and ventilator beds in the state are still occupied by Covid-19 patients who require critical care.
While the virus spread has slowed down considerably, some 271 persons died of Covid in the six days of June.
The occupancy for oxygen beds, reserved for Covid patients, has gone down to 15.4%.
This was nearly 100% during the peak of the second wave.
Also, only 5.5% of the reserved general beds are currently occupied.
But the occupancy of ICU beds is still 30.1%.
Besides, over half of the reserved ventilator beds are occupied by Covid patients with severe symptoms.
The occupancy of beds with ventilator support is 55% in the state.
It is 54% in Jaipur, 82% in Jodhpur, 62% in Udaipur, 58% in Kota.
In Alwar, 54 beds with ventilator support are still occupied.
At the biggest Covid-dedicated RUHS Hospital in Jaipur, all the 128 ICU beds with ventilator support are fully occupied.
The hospital does not have a single bed available with ventilator support.
“We have 1,200 beds and, out of those, 268 are occupied.
Out of the 268, the number of patients on ventilator support are 128.
Our beds with ventilator support are fully occupied.
This is happening because many patients have shifted from private hospitals whenever our beds are vacated,” said Dr Ajit Singh, superintendent, RUHS Hospital.
Some of the patients on ventilator support have been undergoing treatment for a long time.
“They have been on ventilator support for more than a month.
They are now on non-invasive ventilation (NIV).
They have fibrosis in the lungs and when we start weaning them away from NIV, they find it difficult to remain stable,” said Dr Singh.
In private hospitals, the number of daily admissions of Covid patients has declined drastically over the past two-three weeks.
“Most of the patients undergoing treatment are in ICUs or on ventilator support.
They have a prolonged stay due to their disease and complications.
Also, sporadic cases with severe symptoms are also there at the hospital,” said a private hospital official.