Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday asked the Directors of the 10 All India Institutes of Medical Science ( AIIMS) to repurpose some of their facilities to take care of Covid-19 patients.

The meeting convened by the minister to brainstorm on the “public health response”  to the COVID crisis was also attended by the Directors of PGIMER Chandigarh and JIPMER Puducherry which also figure among the top medical institutions in the country. 

The minister said, “AIIMS have a special responsibility towards providing quality healthcare- you have to ensure that all the hospital facilities are functional. The present capacities can be augmented by repurposing non-COVID infrastructure to Covid facilities, such that non-COVID healthcare is not unduly affected.”

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He requested the directors to ensure that those who need hospital care are provided this and those who are in need of oxygen/ventilators are also tended to. He also asked them to explore avenues to monitor patients who may not need hospitalization through telephonic counseling to reassure them out of their helplessness.

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He expressed the opinion that the vital characteristics of Covid-19 were not know last year which has since been researched to provide a clearer understanding of it thus making containing the recent surge a comparatively easier affair.

Vaccinations cross 13 crore

Detailing the achievements, the Minister stated, “today, we have crossed 13 crore vaccinations, and we are the fastest globally to vaccinate. The fatality rate of 1.18% is one of the lowest in the word and is continuously dipping. The present indicators tell us about the significant control we have still have on the emerging situation”.

He pointed out that 1.75% of all patients are in ICU (down from 1.93% just 2 days before), 0.40% are on ventilators (down from 0.43% just 2 days before) and that 4.03% are in need of Oxygen (down from 4.29% just 2 days before).

He said that these figures do not diminish the fact that there is anxiety in the general population about availability of beds. It is also important for the Nation as a commune to access the best medical facilities at all places.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan observed that all the institutes combined have increased 879 general beds and 219 ICU beds. In this regard, he also spoke of the recent attempt by DRDO to open a 500-bed facility in Delhi and the Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research–Central Building Research Institute (CSIR–CBRI)’s attempts to make temporary but durable hospital blocks at the Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College to house more patients.

He informed that the AIIMS National Institute of Cancer (NIC), Jhajjar had added 100 beds to its COVID Block while approximately 80 beds were added at JPNATC, AIIMS New Delhi at his request.

Regarding the shortage in hands at the hospitals, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “We have to develop our manpower and human resources. Those who are in other departments and units can be used for COVID care with building their skills and capacities with training for a very short duration. Everyone is looking at AIIMs for inspiration and your guidance and support. People respect AIIMS for their professional expertise.”

PM’s backing

He assured the country’s top doctors continued support from the political leadership of the country, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “The Prime Minister is continuously reviewing the COVID response. He is leading from the front. He has already had fruitful meetings with doctors and representatives of the pharma industry yesterday and is meeting the vaccine manufactures today.”

Conversion of hostel beds for Covid

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan discussed the need for institutes to scale up.  In view of the need to increase oxygen beds and ICU beds in the possibility of a surge, the Union Government has already written to the states for supporting the AIIMS in their jurisdiction. He suggested that the unutilized hostel blocks, AUYSH block, hostel beds can be used for additional bed capacity to tide over the crisis.

Bhushan said that the situation might demand more doctors and paramedics in the foreseeable feature and suggested starting the process of contractual hiring for next 6 months. He also expressed the view that Presidents of AIIMS be requested to use their resources and their networks for requesting retired nurses and doctors to come on voluntary or payment basis to manage this