New Delhi, May 7: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday visited the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital to take stock of its preparedness for clinical management of severe Covid patients.
At the hospital’s vaccination centre, he interacted with the beneficiaries and those being monitored for AEFI post vaccination. They all assured him that the entire process was smooth. Persons being monitored for AEFI informed that they did not feel any difficulty after their vaccination.
The Minister also interacted with the healthcare workers and expressed his deep gratitude for their unflinching commitment to work throughout the pandemic. He also informed them of the recent decisions to increase the medical workforce which is likely to reduce their workload manifold.
Harsh Vardhan reviewed in detail the availability of beds, including those with oxygen support and the ICU ventilator beds.
Medical Superintendent, Dr A.K. Singh Rana informed him regarding the steps being taken for augmenting the beds availability to cater to immediate needs of Covid patients.
RML Hospital initially had 172 Covid beds in two dedicated buildings out of which 158 were oxygen beds and 14 ICU beds. The Covid suspect block which admitted patients based solely on symptoms had another 44 beds out of which 30 were oxygenated beds and 14 were ICU beds.
During the recent upsurge of corona, the number of Covid beds has been increased to 215 by adding 33 new Covid oxygen beds and 10 ICU beds for the treatment of those yet to be confirmed.
Hospital administration also informed of plans to add another 200 Covid beds as was suggested by the Union Health Minister immediately after the relocation of non-Covid patients, development of donning and doffing area and completion of rearrangement of manpower currently underway. All these beds will be oxygen supported with some being modified to be Covid ICU beds.
Harsh Vardhan also inspected the Oxygen Generation Plant set up by the DRDO. There are two liquid oxygen chambers at the hospital, one with a capacity of 12 MT and the other with a capacity of 10 MT. (IANS)
