SHILLONG, Jan 9: The private hospitals in the city have claimed to be better prepared than before as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 threatens to put Meghalaya’s healthcare infrastructure to test again.
Doctors of these hospitals said vaccination, availability of medical oxygen and the experience of handling two waves of the pandemic will help them deal with the situation in the coming weeks.
Meban Kharkongor, a medical specialist at the Dr H. Gordon Roberts Hospital said became well-equipped after the second wave.
“The hospital has adequate stock of oxygen, oxygen concentrators, ventilators, non-evasive ventilators and medicines,” he told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
He said the hospital has reserved 40 beds for COVID-19 patients and can add 20 more beds if there is a surge in the cases. “At present, we have four COVID-19 patients undergoing treatment,” he said.
Kharkongor said the equipment for the installation of an oxygen plant in the hospital is expected to arrive in the next two weeks. “We will be much better prepared once the oxygen plant is commissioned,” he said.
Bethany Hospital’s nodal officer and spokesperson, Kyntiewlang Sanmiet said the levels of preparedness are much higher this time around.
He said, unlike Delta, the Omicron variant has been identified and flagged quickly because of improved genetic surveillance.
“In addition to oxygen cylinders, the installation of an oxygen plant at the hospital is under process. This will offset the demand-supply gap in case of increased oxygen requirement due to a surge in cases,” he said, adding the hospital has reserved 60 beds for any COVID emergency.
Sanmiet also said they are vaccinating all their staff with the third precautionary dose of the COVID vaccine from January 10 onwards to enhance their protection against the virus.
Senior medical officer of Woodland Hospital, P.W. Nongrum said they have reserved an entire floor as a COVID ward in view of a possible surge in the cases.
“At the moment, we have reserved 22 beds for COVID-19 patients,” Nongrum said.
He said they are getting two to three COVID-19 patients daily.
There are currently eight such patients admitted to the hospital.
Nongrum also said the hospital has sufficient oxygen stock. “We will ramp up the stock if we receive more patients,” he added.