Meghalaya has 41 critical COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms and on ventilator support while 100 are on oxygen support till Tuesday.
As per data provided by the Health Department, various hospitals in the State are catering to Covid patients that are categorised under A, B, C and D.
Critical patients needing ventilator support are categorised under D and Nazareth Hospital, Shillong is handling the maximum with 12 such cases while Shillong Civil Hospital with six. The number of patients under oxygen support, categorised under ‘C’, at Nazareth Hospital are at 30.
The ‘B’ category are patients with mild Covid symptoms and category ‘A’ are those who tested positive with no symptoms.
As per the data, there 19 hospitals catering to Covid patients in the State.
Meanwhile, Dr. Andreas Dkhar (MD) Joint Director Health Services has said that if there is a surge of COVID-19 cases in Civil Hospital Shillong, the authorities will have no option but to stop taking in patients suffering from other ailments.
“In extreme case we will have to stop admitting patients with other ailments. But where will we send them,” Dr. Dkhar said.
He informed that at present there are cancer cases and with other diseases who are admitted at Civil Hospital Shillong
Dr. Dkhar who is also the Surgeon Superintendent (SS) Civil Hospital Shillong also said that if COVID rooms are exhausted in the hospital the authorities may use the corridors for patients with diabetes who needs to be hospitalised to protect them and the new building of the hospital where deluxe and semi-private rooms are available.
The Surgeon Superintendent (SS) Civil Hospital Shillong informed that pregnant women and children who contract the virus should go to Ganesh Das Hospital where 45 beds have been activated even as he said that an additional 100 beds is being prepared in another wing of the hospital.
Dr. Dkhar said that if a person who has contracted the virus but he does not need hospitalisation they will be sent home.
He also informed that the RP Chest Hospital and the TB Hospital at Umsawli has also been activated to admit COVID-19 patients.
“We want to keep only critically ill ones who are either in category C and D patients in Civil Hospital Shillong,” the Surgeon Superintendent informed.
He said that category B patients are those with comorbidities.
“We want to stabilise them here first and then sent them to Umsawli or their homes,” Dr. Dkhar said.
He also said that the authorities are now encouraging patients to stay at home even as he said that asymptomatic ones should stay at home.
