COVID-19 wards are running almost empty in major government hospitals in the city.
Only five of the 2,050 beds earmarked for COVID-19 are occupied at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). “This is the lowest bed occupancy till now. The average daily admissions is 0 or 1,” Hospital Dean E. Theranirajan said. Four of them have been under treatment since December and all have tested negative for the infection.
At the Government Corona Hospital, which has 750 beds, only three patients have been admitted, the lowest figure till now. Hospital director K. Narayanasamy said cases of COVID-19 patients requiring admission had become rare now while there were no outpatients.
Government Stanley Medical College Hospital dean P. Balaji said there were only two in-patients at the hospital. “We had only one patient last week,” he said.
Similar was the situation at the Government Medical College Hospital at Omandurar Estate as two patients were under treatment. “We had only one in-patient last week. Only those who require oxygen support and have no facilities for home isolation are getting admitted,” said hospital dean R. Jayanthi.
Dr. Theranirajan stressed on the need for persons to get vaccinated. “Over one crore persons are due for the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 52 lakh have not taken a single dose,” he said.
