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Key hospitals in ‘State of Emergency’ 

05 Aug 2021

  • Covid-19 wards run out of beds 
  • Karapitiya, Ragama and Ratnapura Teaching Hospitals worst hit 
  • Hospitals asked to admit Covid-19 patients to regular wards 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Due to the sudden increase in the number of Covid-19 patients being hospitalised, the capacity of the units allocated for the treatment of Covid-19 patients at hospitals have reached their limits, leaving many patients without beds, The Morning learnt. The Karapitiya, Ragama, and Ratnapura Teaching Hospitals are among the worst hit in the island, with many patients seen seated or lying on the hospital floors with no beds being available for them.  With the number of patients being treated at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital resulting thereby in the capacity of the units allocated for the treatment of Covid-19 patients at the hospital reaching their limits, and the parallel increase in the number of Covid-19 infections among the hospital staff, a state of emergency has been declared at the hospital.  The Hospital Director has informed this in writing to all the specialist medical officers, medical officers and heads of departments of the hospital yesterday (4), and an official of the hospital, when contacted by The Morning, confirmed the issuance of the said letter. Through the letter, it has been advised to inform the relevant Medical Officers of Health (MOHs) and the regional epidemiology units to direct Covid-19 patients who do not have serious complications to undergo home treatment until they can be referred to an intermediate treatment centre, in order to give priority to Covid-19 patients with serious complications. However, public transport facilities should not be used for this purpose, the letter further read.  In addition, all heads of department and specialist medical officers have been instructed to keep the required space for patients with complications in their units until space is available in the units reserved for Covid-19 patients.  It further stated that Covid-19 patients who come to the hospital through the outpatient department (OPD) and the emergency treatment unit (ETU) should be referred for home treatment until there is space in the intermediate treatment centre instead of being admitted to the wards if they are not having serious complications.  It was also reported that the capacity of the wards reserved for Covid-19 patients at the Ragama Teaching Hospital has been exceeded and as of yesterday there were no beds available for Covid-19 patients receiving treatment in wards No. 26 and 30.  However, the Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi stated yesterday that in addition to the existing wards, another ward complex will be set aside for Covid-19 patients. She said this during a visit to inspect the situation at the Ragama Hospital yesterday.  Health Ministry Secretary Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe and Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Asela Gunawardena also participated in the visit and they had held discussions with the Director of the Ragama Teaching Hospital regarding the current situation. Following this it had been decided to reserve some more wards for the Covid-19 patients.  Meanwhile, a “state of emergency” has also been declared at the Ratnapura Teaching Hospital from 3 August in view of the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country and the hospital’s situation. The Ratnapura Teaching Hospital Director, Dr. M.D.A. Rodrigo, has declared a state of emergency and the hospital staff have been informed of this in writing. Due to the rise in Covid-19 patients in the country, 81 of the total of 146 (roughly 55%) intensive care unit (ICU) beds earmarked for Covid-19 patients, are currently occupied, the Health Ministry told The Morning on Tuesday (3). The Health Ministry’s Communications Director and Public Health Services Deputy Director General Dr. Hemantha Herath told The Morning that 81 of the 146 ICU beds earmarked for Covid-19 patients are currently occupied.  He noted that individual hospitals may face difficulties when trying to locate an ICU bed for a Covid-19 patient during an emergency, as vacant beds may be located only in hospitals in a different province. Meanwhile, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa showed photos of Colombo hospitals in Parliament on 3 August saying that Covid-19 patients were sleeping on the hospital floors on mats as they have no available beds in hospitals. “I will send you these photos. Now patients are not lying in beds but are either standing or seated,” he told Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi in Parliament. He raised concerns about the increasing number of Covid-19 patients requiring hospital and ICU treatment. “The question remains as to whether the hospital system can bear the burden of the B.1.617.2 Delta Indian strain of the Covid-19 Virus, especially with the lifting of travel restrictions this week,” queried Premadasa. Also, when contacted, the Association of Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes (APHNH) Chairman Dr. Lakith Peiris told The Morning that the 10 fully fledged ICU beds at Hemas Hospitals, of which he is the Managing Director, are occupied with Covid-19 patients. However, he was not aware of the status in other private hospitals. Meanwhile, the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children (LRH) Director Dr. G. Wijesuriya told The Morning last week that the ward dedicated to Covid-19 patients at the LRH in Colombo has reached its maximum capacity. The Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) had expressed their concern over the current situation in the country and requested the Government to revisit their Covid-19 restriction protocols in the wake of surging numbers of cases. “With the increasing demand for oxygen, it will only be a matter of days before the supply is exhausted, and hence, deaths may result due to the lack of oxygen, or more importantly, due to the lack of an oxygen delivery mechanism to the patient’s bedside. This crisis will be equally applicable to both the public and private sectors,” AMS President Dr. LakKumar Fernando explained.


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