BBMP pushes for integrated booking system

Priya S. (title modified), a resident of Banaswadi, recalled the helplessness of looking for an ICU mattress for her husband whose oxygen saturation ranges had been dropping at alarming ranges resulting from COVID-19.

As they rode within the ambulance knocking on the doorways of hospitals, her husband’s oxygen saturation ranges dropped to 54. “I did call the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) helpline and there were no ICU beds available in the government quota. So, I took him in an ambulance and went searching for a bed. The ordeal lasted three hours,” she stated.

With the clamour for hospital beds solely rising by the day, the BBMP is pushing for a typical platform and booking system to be put in place that can permit folks to observe and e-book beds within the non-public quota as nicely.

This will deliver extra transparency to a system that residents allege is opaque. Such a system already exists for beds accessible below authorities quota. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, BBMP’s Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta stated, “A common booking system may help COVID-19 patients and prevent them from going to multiple hospitals in search of beds. This has been discussed in high-level meetings with the State government.”

However, BBMP sources stated there was some resistance from non-public hospitals in placing such a system in place.

However, Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes’ Association (PHANA) president Prasanna H.M. stated the mattress administration system for non-public quota was within the strategy of being readied. “We wanted to have this in place last year itself. But dropped the idea after the number of cases came down. We will now have a dry run of the system on Friday and launch it soon,” he stated.

An integration of the present system and a platform for non-public quota beds is the necessity of the hour, stated officers. It is a system which will ease the trauma of discovering a mattress for their family members.

Software engineer Shubha Rao referred to as over 30 non-public hospitals after her colleague’s father-in-law examined optimistic with low oxygen saturation and was in want of an ICU mattress.

“We finally got a bed in a small hospital that I didn’t even know existed. Most people turn to big hospitals. There is a need for a centralised database of beds available under the government and private quota that is updated in real time,” she stated.

The BBMP is coordinating with numerous non-public hospitals in direction of making a complete of 11,000 beds accessible over the subsequent two to 3 days. The State authorities too has directed all non-public hospitals and medical faculties handy over 80% of beds of their services to the federal government.

Mr. Gupta acknowledged the restricted variety of ICU beds within the metropolis. The 600 ICU beds that had been handed over had already been allotted below the BBMP’s hospital mattress administration system.

“As and when there is an availability, ICU beds are being allotted. Towards increasing the number of ICU beds, we have held discussions with private medical colleges and private hospitals. The total may increase by another 200,” he said.

At the federal government degree, initiative is being taken to determine ICU short-term hospitals. “If this is done, an additional 1,000 ICU beds may be available,” he added.

He urged residents to not panic, and said that almost 90% of those that take a look at optimistic don’t require any critical medical interventions.

Care centres

The BBMP may have in place 12 COVID-19 Care Centres (CCCs) for those that don’t have the wherewithal to isolate themselves at residence, stated Mr. Gupta.

Apart from these services, step down hospital and personal CCCs with sure medical services are being established by non-public hospitals in affiliation with inns.