State health dept puts up proposal for CIHSR as new COVID-19 hospital
Dimapur, May 12 (MExN): The District Hospital Dimapur having a total capacity of 100 beds with 18 ICU beds was earlier declared as a COVID-19 Hospital to handle COVID-19 positive cases in the district. “However, the exponential increase in confirmed cases requiring hospitalization has overwhelmed the capacity of District Hospital Dimapur,” the Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Nagaland stated on Wednesday.
The State health department on May 12 submitted a proposal to the government to the government to designate CIHSR as a COVID-19 hospital to increase bed capacity for COVID-19 patients.
Out of the 3656 cases in the State since January 2021, 60 % of cases were from Dimapur. The hospital bed occupancy rate is at 91 % as on May 10, the department stated.
Although the government has reserved at least 50% of beds in private hospitals with in-patient and ICU facilities, till date, only Faith Hospital with 24 beds comprising of 10 oxygen supported beds and 14 ICU beds has come on board, as per the department. The remaining private hospitals are yet to come on board, citing various reasons, it added.
The total projected case per day at peak during the second wave of the pandemic is 321. The ICU bed requirement for the peak period is 174 whereas ICU bed available is 34. Projected moderate cases (requiring oxygen bed) are 383 as against 122 available oxygen beds.
In such a situation, the COVID-19 beds in both hospitals are nearing saturation, the department highlighted.
On the other hand, the CIHSR has earmarked 62 beds for COVID-19 cases, comprising of 23 COVID-19 beds without oxygen support, 21 oxygen-supported beds and 18 ICU beds, the department noted.
In view of this, the department proposed the State government to consider designating CIHSR as a COVID-19 hospital so as to increase the bed capacity for COVID-19 patients from the present 62 beds to 200 beds.
Among others, the department proposed to designate senior officers at the Government and Directorate level as Nodal Officers to coordinate with CIHSR.
Further, healthcare workers (HCWs) under CIHSR who have rendered at least 100 days on COVID-19 duty shall be eligible to compete in the special recruitment drive for COVID- I 9 Warriors for regular government appointments through the respective recruitment bodies- NPSC, NSSB or Departmental Recruitment Board, the department proposed.
It proposed for all HCWs under CIHSR on COVID-19 duty to be covered under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme as well as under the State government’s ex-gratia grant for fatalities to frontline workers due to COVID- 19.
All HCWs under CIHSR on COVID-19 duty rendering minimum 100 days of COVID-19 duty and completing it successfully will be eligible for the Prime Minister's Distinguished COVID National Service Samman from Government of India. Similarly, it proposed for distinguished COVID-19 Warriors to be given the State awards.
Preference for undergoing further studies will be given to HCWs who have rendered at least 100 days on COVID-19 duty and have qualified the entrance examination, the department proposed.
HCWs under CIHSR on COVID-19 duty requiring isolation to prevent the risk of transmission due to the nature of work shall be entitled to free accommodation arranged by the hospital and Rs 300 per head per day during the period of isolation, it added.
Any HCW under CIHSR who contract the virus while on COVID-19 duty shall be entitled for medical re-imbursement for the expenditure incurred for the treatment, the proposal stated.
The department further proposed to set up a makeshift hospital in the CIHSR campus to prepare for any undue surge in COVID-19 cases.
