The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) has denied reports on social media platforms that the institution had over 2,000 beds, but was providing care for only around 200 COVID-19 patients, keeping the remaining beds empty.
In a press release, Jipmer Director Dr. Rakesh Agarwal said that this was incorrect. “As on date, Jipmer has 1,250 seriously ill non-COVID patients admitted in various specialities. In addition, it has dedicated 269 beds for COVID-19 services including 55 intensive care unit beds, each with a dedicated high-end ventilator and 214 beds with piped oxygen supply.”
“Jipmer is preferentially admitting very sick patients needing multi-disciplinary care, and referring stable COVID-19 patients either to home care or other COVID hospitals,” he said.
Mr. Agarwal said the institution continued to receive a large number of patients with COVID or other diseases, who are referred from major hospitals in Puducherry and neighbouring States for highly specialised care.
“It’s emergency services are running in full swing. In addition, over 3,000 patients are being attended to by tele-consultation every day. All this is being maintained despite high demand on manpower for COVID services, and with some doctors, nurses and other healthcare personnel being unavailable because of COVID infection in them or their family members,” he said.
With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, there are numerous requests for preferential treatment and admission for COVID-19 and other services, he said. In this time of crisis and limited resources, the institute has been striving to provide all of its patients with appropriate treatment, guided only by need as determined by the seriousness of the medical condition, without preference of any kind, he added.
