Delhi doctors divided over reserving 80% ICU beds for COVID-19 patients

With the third Covid-19 wave now ebbing in the national capital, medical practitioners of private hospitals stand divided on the decision of the Delhi government to reserve 80 percent intensive care unit (ICU) beds for Covid-19 patients.

In November, when the city was in the grip of the third wave of infection and faced grave shortage of ICU beds, 80 percent of such beds were reserved in 33 private hospitals for high-risk Covid-19 patients.

Now that the wave appears to have subsided with a drop in daily coronavirus cases, the Association of Healthcare Providers has challenged the order in the court, asserting that more than half of the reserved ICU beds are lying vacant and that there is no justification to continue with the status quo.

Few private doctors, however, feel that the order should not be reversed as the city is yet to witness extreme winter conditions and pollution, both of which are conducive for the rise in coronavirus cases. Some others feel that the system should be made more flexible.

"The decision should not be reversed. The government should not call off its decision just on the basis of cases going down," said Arunesh Kumar, Head of Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology at Paras Hospital.

"In Delhi-NCR, we are yet to witness extreme winters and pollution, both of which are conducive for the rise in Covid cases. Till the time we do not have a vaccine, Covid-19 should be given priority in our healthcare facilities," he added.

Pulmonologist Piyush Goel also concurred with Kumar`s views and said that the city must retain 80 per cent of ICU beds for Covid-19 patients until the virus is contained. "It is being assumed that the Covid situation may worsen in coming months, and we do not know how virulent or severe it will be this time," he said.However, Goel, who is associated with the Columbia Asia Hospital, said that there should be flexibility that if Covid-19 patients are not there, the private hospitals can admit non-Covid patients.

Another Delhi-based doctor, however, advocated that retainment of ICU beds is depriving non-Covid patients of critical care and other facilities and leading to multiple issues with regard to access to healthcare.

"We should open the hospitals to all the patients, and we can revisit the order if the cases start rising again," said Shuchin Bajaj, Director of Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals.

The Fortis Hospital, however, refused to comment on the issue.

The coronavirus situation in Delhi has improved in the last few days as the number of cases have reduced and the daily positivity rate has stayed below 5 per cent since December 3. The national capital has also been witnessing a drop in the death count.