AP government hospitals lack additional ventilators

Visakhapatnam: Government hospitals are running short of ventilators as private hospitals tend to suggest patients, especially suffering from respiratory issues, to move out when they run out of money. 

The Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD), which has become a critical care centre for swine flu, pneumonia, critical lung ailments and TB cases, has seven ventilators, but it needs 16 more ventilators due to a large influx of patients sometimes. 

The hospital has a well-equipped respiratory intensive care unit (RICU) and inpatient ward has bed strength of 120.

Everyday, two to three patients, who need ventilator support, are sent from private hospitals to this hospital, according to the GHCCD doctors.  

Private hospitals charge about Rs 30,000-50,000 per day for ventilator support.

When asked about the complaints that the hospital has inadequate ventilator support to meet the growing requirements, GHCCD Superintendent G. Sambasiva Rao said, “We have adequate ventilators as per the government norms. However, when there is a massive influx of patients requiring ventilator support, it becomes challenging sometimes.”

“We do not charge a single penny even if the drugs or injections are expensive. We are trying to improve the service here like white corporate hospitals provide. About 100-120 patients are received at the OP ward everyday. However, to ensure that there should not be ventilator issue even while the influx of patients, we have placed indent for 10 non-invasive and 6 invasive ventilators,” he said.   

“There should be some kind of cooperation and coordination among hospitals, irrespective of whether they are private or government, at least till a patient who needs critical care is stabilised. The private hospital should not ask the patient to get shifted to government hospital immediately when they are unable to pay the ventilator charges,” he added.