20% hospitalised patients in Indore are from other districts

INDORE: Every fifth bed occupied in the Covid-19 designated hospitals is filled with a patient from other districts in Indore, shows a bed occupancy report. As per the records, 1,005 patients from other districts are undergoing treatment at Indore hospitals reserved for Covid-19. A total of 4,994 corona patients were hospitalised till Monday evening in the district.
Dr Amit Malakar, district nodal officer for Covid-19 said, “Indore district is considered as a medical hub in the state, so it has the load of around 15 to 17 districts in normal times.”
“During this time when Indore is already under Covid-19 grip with over 1,500 cases reported in a day, it becomes challenging to cater to the need of residents of the district.Patients from outside further increase the work pressure”, said Dr Malakar.
Indore is also facing human resource problem because it is considered as only a district and resources are allotted like that only, Dr Malakar said. “But with limited resources, we try to provide best possible facilities to people of the district and to the state,” he said.
Faculty members of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College have been made nodal officers for districts in Indore division with responsibility to allow referral of patients to Indore.
Under the arrangement, the chief medical officers and nodal officers have to consult the MGM doctors for better wellness management of the coronavirus-affected patients as well as before deciding to refer to them to hospitals in Indore district.