All hospitals ordered to reserve 50% of beds for COVID-19 patients

Kannur Collector issues order under Disaster Management Act

Kannur District Collector T.V. Subhash, who is also the chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority, has directed that half of the beds in all the hospitals in the district be set aside for COVID-19 treatment to ensure specialist treatment for all in view of the increasing number of cases in the district.

The action was taken under Sections 24 and 65 of the Disaster Management Act. According to this, all government and private hospitals, including medical colleges in the district, co-operative and ESI hospitals should reserve 50 per cent of their beds for COVID patients. Admission to 25 per cent of the reserved half beds will be done through the DDMA. Category B and C patients with severe symptoms will be admitted.

At the same time, the order said that hospitals should make arrangements to provide necessary treatment to non-COVID patients seeking emergency treatment.

The Collector also ordered the appointment of an incident commander at each of the major hospitals in the district to ensure the physical condition of the beds, D-type oxygen cylinders and other life-saving medicines required for the treatment of critically ill patients.

Kannur Aster MIMS, Gym Care, Ashirvad Specialty, Sreechand, Dhanalakshmi, Koyili, AKG, KIMST Mother and Child Hospitals, Cherukunnu SMDP, Thalassery Indira Gandhi, Thalassery Co-operative Hospital, Tely Hospital, Jose Giri, Christuraj Mission Hospital, Iritty Amala hospital, Taliparamba Lourdes, Co-operative Hospital, Payyannur Priyadarshini, Co-operative and Church Hospitals, would appoint incident commander in the first phase.

They should visit the hospitals concerned and report to the DDMA on the number of D-type oxygen cylinders available there and the availability of oxygen plants. The beds available here should also include the ICU and ventilator.

The number of COVID patients admitted to the hospital should be updated daily by A,B, and C categories. In addition, the daily stock of life-saving drugs should be reported, Mr. Subhash said.

He said in the order that an oxygen help desk should be set up at the hospital and work in coordination with the oxygen nodal officer here.

He also directed the District Law Officer N.V. Santosh to set up a help desk in the collectorate as the nodal officer to coordinate these activities in the district.