SHILLONG, May 12: Meghalaya’s only super-specialty hospital, NEIGRIHMS, is facing a severe challenge in terms of specialised manpower to look after COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
NEIGRIHMS Director, Dr Prithwis Bhattacharya told newsmen on Wednesday the institute has manpower only to run regular ICUs.
According to him, the institute cannot depute MBBS doctors to look after the ICU since they are not trained enough to operate the ventilators. He also stated that the challenges in running an expanded ICU do not end with equipment only.
“We have more than 77 ventilators and we are on the verge of getting more. However, we are facing the challenge of not having enough trained human resources,” he stated.Stating that the institute has merged the two main ICUs, he said the non-ICU staffs are being deployed to the COVID-19 ICU.
“We have managed to arrange manpower temporarily to run the ICU as we have been continuously providing training to doctors and nurses –both pre-clinical and clinical. We have also trained doctors from dermatology and ophthalmology departments since last year in view of the pandemic,” Dr Bhattacharya said.
He said the institute has been able to draw services from other departments since the number of non-COVID patients visiting the hospital is relatively less.
Dr Bhattacharya said NEIGRIHMS is a referral centre of the Northeast and it cannot refuse to admit non-COVID patients since they come here from a distance. He said the institute has reduced the routine surgeries.
“People who undergo surgeries will consume a lot of oxygen, especially when they are put on a ventilator, so it is logical to reduce the routine surgeries. Also, we want to prevent COVID contraction,” the NEIGRIHMS Director said.
He said a patient, who underwent a cardiac surgery, had tested COVID positive, possibly after contracting the virus from an attendant.
“We have declared the cardiac surgery ICU a containment zone,” he said, clarifying the attendant contracted the virus from outside.
Meanwhile, Dr Bhattacharya said NEIGRIHMS has 155 beds, including 100 oxygen beds, 30 COVID beds and 25 ICU beds, to cater to COVID patients. He said 57 COVID patients are admitted in the institute and 18 of them are on ventilator support. He said there is no shortage of oxygen.
Earlier, after visiting NEIGRIHMS, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek had said he was happy with the institute’s preparedness as it was able to handle both COVID and non-COVID cases.
“We assure all possible support to NEIGRIHMS from the government’s side to deal with the COVID patients,” Hek had said.
