Just 1 ventilator for every 75,000 people in Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal: As Madhya Pradesh battles rising number of COVID-19 cases, burdening its health infrastructure, government data showed the state has just one ventilator for every 75,000 people and one intensive care unit bed for every 47,000. However, to the satisfaction of authorities, the availability of hydroxychloroquine, a common anti-malaria drug seen as potential cure for COVID-19, is around 30 tablets per person, according to an analysis of state government data.

Madhya Pradesh has so far registered 426 coronavirus positive cases and 33 fatalities. Indore leads the tally with 235 COVID-19 cases followed by Bhopal, which has 98 patients of the infection which has now spread to 20 districts of the state. The state, having a population of over 7.5 crore, has a total of 993 ventilators and 1,598 ICU beds in government and private hospitals put together together (as on March 9, 2020), according to the data.

Overall, 29,914 beds, including 9,492 in isolation wards, are available in states hospitals, the data said. If compared to total population, Madhya Pradesh has just one ventilator (whose count now stands at 993) for about every 75,000 people and one ICU bed for every 47,000, it showed. Asked about the low ratio of ventilators and ICU beds vis-a-vis population, Principal Secretary (Medical Education) Sanjay Shukla told PTI that efforts are being made to improve overall medical facilities and procure necessary healthcare equipment in the state. The state government has placed orders to procure 200 ventilators but as everybody knows that manufacturers of life- saving equipment are overburdened these days so it may take time to receive supply, Shukla said. He said there is no shortage of funds.