COVID-19: K’taka govt asks private hospitals to set aside 30% beds for patients

Bengaluru: Amid rising COVID cases in the state, the Karnataka government has ordered the private hospitals and private medical colleges in the state on January 5, to immediately reserve and keep ready 30% beds in the backdrop of surge in COVID-19 cases in the state.

The private hospitals have been told to reserve and keep ready ICU beds, ICU beds with ventilator, high-dependency unit (HDU) and oxygenated beds for treatment of COVID-19 patients referred by the health authorities.

Further by January 7, 50% beds of each category — ICU, ICU with ventilator, HDU/Oxygenated beds category and general beds of private hospitals — to be reserved for COVID-19 patients referred by the health authorities, the order says. Private medical college hospitals will keep ready and reserve beds under each category up to 50% by January 7 and upto 75% by January 10.

Non-adherence to the orders by any private health care providers and medical colleges will be liable to proceed as per provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005 and IPC sections, the order warns.

The Labour Department is entrusted with the task of ensuring that the employees working in industries, factories, IT industries are vaccinated with two doses and adhere to Covid guidelines at work places.

The local labour officer along with health department officials will verify the vaccinated status of employees. Any violations in this regard will also attract legal action, Chief Secretary and Chairman State Executive Committee P Ravikumar has ordered.

Fresh COVID-19 cases in Karnataka nearly doubled in 24 hours to 4,246 and reported two deaths on Wednesday, taking the count to 30,17,572 and the fatalities toll to 38,357. The state on Tuesday reported 2,479 new cases. Of the new cases, 3,605 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 264 being discharged and two deaths. The total number of active cases is now at 17,414.

The state has been registering a steady surge in fresh infections for the last one week when the daily caseload was 566.

(With inputs from IANS)