Omicron alert: 300 beds arranged at Vijayawada Government General Hospital

Vijayawada: With the alert sounded by the Central government and the State government new Coronavirus variant Omricon, theGovernment General Hospital in the city now getting battle-ready to combat possible surge of coronavirus cases in Krishna district.

The Government General Hospital had successfully treated several hundreds of Covid patients in the first and second waves in the district. According to experts, the new variant may spread six times faster than the Delta variant, which shook the world in the second wave.

The GGH arranged 300 beds with ventilators and liquid oxygen supply facilities during the second wave. The GGH authorities are ready to set up another 300 beds very quickly in case of emergency and the total bed capacity will be increased to 600 to treat the patients. The Vijayawada General Hospital had treated the Covid patients from Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and West Godavari districts and saved several hundred lives in the first and the second waves.

GGH superintendent Dr Y Kiran Kumar told The Hans India that 300 beds are ready in the super specialty block and another 300 beds will be arranged quickly in case of emergency. He said the hospital has three oxygen supply plants to provide oxygen. Over 90 ventilators are available at the GGH and 200 beds oxygen supply facility from the plant.

The superintendent said that during the second wave of Covid, most patients opted for home isolation. The hospital has qualified doctors and paramedical staff to treat the Covid patients. The health workers and doctors are on high alert and underlined the need to create awareness among people to follow Covid guidelines very strictly.

He insisted that use of masks and sanitisers should be continued and people should stop attending the mass gatherings in view of the Omicron threat.

Presently, about 30 Covid patients are undergoing treatment in the super specialty block of the GGH. The hospital authorities arranged Covid beds and treatment facilities in the third and fourth floors of the super specialty block while the ground and the first floors are used for super specialty services like neurology and cardiology. Around 2,000 patients visit the GGH every day for medical tests, treatment and other purposes including various types of ailments.

The super specialty block can be exclusively used for the Covid patients in case Omicron variant cases rise and patients rush to the hospital.