Amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru, the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA) have launched a website to provide status on COVID-19 beds in private hospitals across the IT city, that come under the private quota. Karnataka's health minister Dr K Sudhakar inaugurated the site by clicking on the online portal, and speaking a few words on the importance of technology in health care.
The websiye comes at a time when the city is reeling under a lack of oxygenated beds, ICU and ventilator facilities. At the time of writing among the 1,699 beds available, only three were free.
PHANA said that "As the central bed management system has information on the availability of beds under the government quota, our portal will show bed status in private hospitals under their (private) quota for admitting COVID-19 patients."
"COVID-19 patients who want to get treated at private hospitals, can check the bed status for admission at the earliest," it added.
Speaking on its operations, Dr Rajashekar, Secretary of PHANA said that it's a simple and easy-to-use portal. It will display the number of vacant beds available from among the registered private hospitals. Hospital phone numbers and a location map are also given. The hospitals need to update the data periodically as and when discharges happen.
The website provides information on the number of COVID-19 patients in private hospitals under the private quota, bed status/availability and the contact number for admission, as the data is uploaded in real-time. Private hospitals are required to upload data on general HDU, ICU and ICU-ventilator beds available and this should be displayed at their help desks for the benefit of patients.
With the pandemic's second wave hitting hard, Karnataka recorded 47,563 new Covid cases, including 21,534 in Bengaluru were registered in a day while 482 patients succumbed to the virus, the state health bulletin said on May 8. "With 47,563 new cases registered on Friday, the state's Covid tally shot up to 18,86,448, including 5,48,841 active cases, while recoveries increased to 13,19,301, including 34,881 patients discharged during the day," said the bulletin.
Bengaluru reported 21,534 fresh cases on Friday, taking its Covid tally to 9,29,996, including 3,44,754 active cases, while 5,77,465 recovered, with 18,473 patients discharged in the day.
