MP hobbled by low ventilator, ICU bed ratio as COVID-19 rages By Anil Dubey
However, to the satisfaction of authorities, theavailability of hydroxychloroquine, a common anti-malaria drugseen as potential cure for COVID-19, is around 30 tablets perperson, according to an analysis of state government data.
Madhya Pradesh has so far registered 426 coronaviruspositive cases and 33 fatalities.
Indore leads the tally with 235 COVID-19 casesfollowed by Bhopal, which has 98 patients of the infectionwhich has now spread to 20 districts of the state.
The state, having a population of over 7.5 crore, hasa total of 993 ventilators and 1,598 ICU beds in governmentand private hospitals put together together (as on March 9,2020), according to the data.
Overall, 29,914 beds, including 9,492 in isolationwards, are available in states hospitals, the data said.
If compared to total population, Madhya Pradesh hasjust one ventilator (whose count now stands at 993) for aboutevery 75,000 people and one ICU bed for every 47,000, itshowed.
Asked about the low ratio of ventilators and ICU bedsvis-a-vis population, Principal Secretary (Medical Education)Sanjay Shukla told that efforts are being made to improveoverall medical facilities and procure necessary healthcareequipment in the state.
The state government has placed orders to procure 200ventilators but as everybody knows that manufacturers of life-saving equipment are overburdened these days so it may taketime to receive supply, Shukla said.
He said there is no shortage of funds.
Development of healthcare infrastructure needs time.We also need expertise to operate these ventilators. Funds areavailable.
"We are making all-round efforts to improve medicalfacilities in the state to deal with the COVID-19 menace,said the Principal Secretary.
Shukla said private hospitals are also arrangingadditional ventilators to deal with the coronavirus crisis.
The state has 29,380 Personal Protection Equipment(PPE) kits and 1.50 lakh N95 masks, two important protectivegears required for healthcare workers who are on the frontlineof anti-coronavirus fight, he said.
Meanwhile, health commissioner Faiz Ahmed Kidwai hascalled for a rational use of PPE kits, which healthcareworkers and those deployed at quarantine centres, hospitalsand laboratories need the most at this crucial time.
On the other hand, the state has about 24.25 lakhtablets of hydroxychloroquine, the data showed.
The drug is used to prevent and treat malaria, lupusand rheumatoid arthritis, among other ailments. It is seen asoffering a viable therapeutic solution to coronavirus.
The virus sneaked in Madhya Pradesh on March 20 whenfour people, including two women with foreign travel history,tested positive for COVID-19 in Jabalpur city. Of them, threehave recovered and returned home.
Some top officials of the health department, includingtwo IAS officers, who attended meetings chaired by ChiefMinister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, have also tested positive forCOVID-19 in Bhopal.
In Bhopal, 50 health workers, including doctors, and12 police personnel have been found to be infected with theviral disease. ADU MASRSY RSY