By Zahid H Javali
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has a real-time dashboard to give the status of bed availability in the city. Today, as of 3.30pm, there were over 1200 beds available in various locations across the city. This comes on the heels of a visit by Gaurav Gupta, BBMP Commissioner, who had reprimanded private hospitals for not allocating 50% of their beds under the government quota for Covid-19 patients.
Real-time dashboard on bed availability
It is indeed heartening to see the BBMP’s website with such detailed information on the bed availability. According to today’s data, most beds are available in private medical colleges (577), followed by private hospitals (489). The data is ever-changing by the minute, but there is hope that the ones who need a bed most should be able to get it. The website not only gives a break-up of hospitals in various categories, but also the names of individual establishments, making it super easy for any resident to contact them and admit their family member. However, please do note that most patients don’t need hospitalisation. Only those with major oxygen requirements need to do so on the written advice of a registered medical practitioner. Over 37,000 such residents in Bengaluru are under home isolation, according to the BBMP. Over 3,500 citizens are occupying beds in private hospitals and over 1,000 in private Covid care centres. For a detailed status of the various healthcare centres and the bed availability, you can click here.
Confusion galore
Sahana Athreya complains that the RT-PCR tests are not completely accurate even when the “patient is showing standard Covid symptoms”. Tweeting the BBMP Commissioner, she writes: “The hospitals with Covid wards are refusing those (such patients). Please open up beds for those showing Covid symptoms. Looks like RT PCR is not picking up new strains.” However, officials contend that admitting such patients will only make the RT PCR negative patient become positive due to the sharing of the same Covid ward. Srivathsa KN suggests an easy way to avoid double booking: “Ensure that only Aadhaar-authenticated patients are allotted beds.”
Bangalore International Exhibition Centre into Covid care unit?
BBMP is not utilising another major Covid care facility it had launched and shut down within 40 days last year. The Bangalore International Exhibition Centre on Tumkur Road was closed as patients hesitated to go outside the city limits and get admitted. However, with the burgeoning cases, this option can be revived by the BBMP, according to Vinod Hayagriv, MD, C Krishnaiah Chetty & Sons. Back then, BBMP had said that the centre was not financially feasible due to demand scarcity.
Suggestions
Following yesterday’s tweet by Gupta, there have been several reactions. Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has asked the BBMP to expand government hospitals and also use hotels for moderate cases. “We need a step-up model,” she tweeted. Sravanth Hindupur suggested that “atleast non-Covid patients can use hotel beds, so that hospital beds can be best utilised by Covid patients.” Educationist Nooraine Fazal found fault with the BBMP by saying, “I am sure the doctors are dealing with enough. The order says 50% of beds need to be reserved for government-referred patients. Where do the hospitals’ regular patients go? Why hasn’t the government used the last 14 months to build public health infrastructure?”. Another resident has claimed that BBMP has not paid a private hospital last year for honouring the government quota.
Public health experts are cautioning the public to not jump to conclusions and demand beds. Data shows that most people don’t need beds, and only those who are not able to breathe and have co-morbidities should be given priority. Importantly, the citizens are advised to wear the right mask (three layered cotton masks or N95 surgical masks), practice physical distancing, and avoid public gatherings. Resident B Rajesh is asking the authorities to streamline the availability of hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, and crucial medicines like Remdesivir.
Other important info
BBMP Covid Helpline Number: 1912
Health queries: 14410
Emergency/ambulance/hospital transfers: 108
BBMP portal: Public Health Activities, Surveillance and Tracking-PHAST
BBMP helplines
| Zone | Contact Number |
| East | 74110-38024 |
| West | 080-68248454 |
| South | 84318-16718 |
| Yelahanka | 94806-85948/64 |
| R R Nagar | 08028601050 |
| Mahadevapura | 080-23010101/02 |
| Bommanahalli | 88846-66670 |
| Dasarahalli | 080-28394909 |
General enquiry – 080 22660000, 080 22481818
