Mounting Cases of Dengue Trigger Bed Crunch in Government Hospitals

New Delhi: The surge in dengue cases in the national capital have led to a serious space crunch in government hospitals with a facility in east Delhi operating a fever clinic from the driver's room while another prominent hospital has emptied its ortho and eye wards to accommodate patients.

Battling to provide treatment to the increasing number of patients pouring in at government facilities, hospitals like Ram Manohar Lohia have asked patients to share beds with saline in many cases being administered to patients on the stretcher itself.

At AIIMS, critically ill dengue patients are being treated on stretchers in corridors due to absence of beds.

"We are giving treatment to critically ill patients suffering from dengue on stretchers. We have no other option...the ICUs are full and we can't transfer them to other hospital as their condition are critical," said a senior doctor at AIIMS.

The condition is pathetic at government hospitals which are grappling with shortage of space and staff along with shortage of beds.

"There is lack of space so we had to open fever clinics in the driver's room. There is resentment among drivers as we have taken away their rooms, but we don't have space otherwise," said Dr Amita Saxena, Medical Superintendent of Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital.

Deen Dayal Hospital has 200 beds allocated for disaster out of which many are being used for dengue patients. "We have done a complete reshuffling of beds from all our departments.

"Fever clinics have been opened in the Isolation near the emergency. We have emptied Eye and Ortho wards to accommodate dengue patients," said Dr Savita Babbar, Medical Superintendent, Deen Dayal Hospital.

"A dengue ward with over 75 beds has been set to cater to dengue patients. Also, we have opened a fever clinic in a hall close to the accident emergency block. But even this arrangement is proving insufficient," said Dr Yogesh Sarin, Medical Superintendent of Lok Nayak Hospital.