NEW DELHI: The rising cases of dengue have created another crisis in the city—a shortage of beds in most hospitals. Such is the rush that many patients are forced to spend the nights on the floors in crowded emergency department of government hospitals, while several private hospitals have put conditions for admitting patients.
A senior doctor at AIIMS said, "Our emergency department gets anywhere between 400-500 patients daily. But over the past few days, the numbers have gone up to 700 at times, mainly on account of dengue patients. We cannot admit all the needy ones because there is a shortage of beds."
Situation is no different at Safdarjung, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Ambedkar and Lok Nayak hospitals where doctors said all the extra arrangements have failed to contain the crisis.
"We have created a separate fever clinic and dengue ward with over 75 beds to accommodate as many patients as possible. But even this arrangement is proving insufficient," said Dr Yogesh Sarin, medical superintendent of Lok Nayak hospital.
He said the hospital has asked the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) for purchase of additional 250 beds so that they can have a contingency plan in the eventuality of further deterioration in dengue situation.
Till September 5, municipal corporations reported two deaths and 1,259 cases of dengue. Recently, two more people died at AIIMS and Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital.
"It is an outbreak situation. Almost every second patient coming to the emergency department has high fever and low platelet count that are classic symptoms of dengue. But we are also seeing a number of patients suffering from other viral illness who insist on admission because they are scared," said Dr Romel Tickoo, senior consultant, internal medicine at Max hospital, Saket.
At Sir Ganga Ram hospital, the doctors said they were admitting only those patients with platelet count below 50,000.
"All patients with febrile illness do not require admission. We have made it clear that only those with very low platelet count, internal bleeding or severe clinical symptoms should be considered for admission since there is a shortage of bed," said Dr S P Byotra, chairperson of medicine department at the hospital.
Monica Arora, a resident of East of Kailash, faced the bed crisis on Saturday when her seven-year-old son was advised hospitalization following a dengue diagnosis and his platelets dropped to 60,000.
"AIIMS said they did not have beds. I approached two private hospitals and finally we managed to get him admitted at a nursing home attached to one of them," said Arora. Neeraj Sharma, whose wife was diagnosed with dengue, said, "I had to call a friend who is a senior doctor at a private hospital to arrange a bed for my wife."
A senior doctor at AIIMS said, "Our emergency department gets anywhere between 400-500 patients daily. But over the past few days, the numbers have gone up to 700 at times, mainly on account of dengue patients. We cannot admit all the needy ones because there is a shortage of beds."
Situation is no different at Safdarjung, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Ambedkar and Lok Nayak hospitals where doctors said all the extra arrangements have failed to contain the crisis.
"We have created a separate fever clinic and dengue ward with over 75 beds to accommodate as many patients as possible. But even this arrangement is proving insufficient," said Dr Yogesh Sarin, medical superintendent of Lok Nayak hospital.
He said the hospital has asked the Central Procurement Agency (CPA) for purchase of additional 250 beds so that they can have a contingency plan in the eventuality of further deterioration in dengue situation.
Till September 5, municipal corporations reported two deaths and 1,259 cases of dengue. Recently, two more people died at AIIMS and Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital.
"It is an outbreak situation. Almost every second patient coming to the emergency department has high fever and low platelet count that are classic symptoms of dengue. But we are also seeing a number of patients suffering from other viral illness who insist on admission because they are scared," said Dr Romel Tickoo, senior consultant, internal medicine at Max hospital, Saket.
At Sir Ganga Ram hospital, the doctors said they were admitting only those patients with platelet count below 50,000.
"All patients with febrile illness do not require admission. We have made it clear that only those with very low platelet count, internal bleeding or severe clinical symptoms should be considered for admission since there is a shortage of bed," said Dr S P Byotra, chairperson of medicine department at the hospital.
Monica Arora, a resident of East of Kailash, faced the bed crisis on Saturday when her seven-year-old son was advised hospitalization following a dengue diagnosis and his platelets dropped to 60,000.
"AIIMS said they did not have beds. I approached two private hospitals and finally we managed to get him admitted at a nursing home attached to one of them," said Arora. Neeraj Sharma, whose wife was diagnosed with dengue, said, "I had to call a friend who is a senior doctor at a private hospital to arrange a bed for my wife."
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