The Gujarat government, on Wednesday, announced its decision to open the under-construction kidney hospital in Ahmedabad to accommodate more than 350 COVID-19 patients. Nonetheless, the urgency that is being shown now may not yield the desired results as the state is witnessing an increase in the number of cases. Gujarat recorded 1,540 new cases on Wednesday—the highest single-day spike since the pandemic broke out in March.
The total number of positive cases in Gujarat now stands at 2,01,949 and the death toll at 3,906. Fourteen people died due to COVID-19 related complications in the last 24 hours ending at 5pm on Wednesday. Of the 14, nine were from Ahmedabad which has witnessed as many as 2,000 deaths so far.
The steep hike in the numbers suggests that the damage has already been done, thanks to the alleged failure of the state government to make people realise the seriousness of the pandemic and carelessness from the part of people, especially during Diwali.
The situation is alarming in Ahmedabad where the Municipal Corporation had no option but to increase the existing bed facilities and take a few more hotels under it for COVID-19 care.
In a significant move that will help ease the shortage of beds in private hospitals, Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (AHNA) on Wednesday released guidelines for the discharge of COVID-19 patients. Earlier, it had issued guidelines for admission of patients in private hospitals.
President of AHNA Dr. Bharat Ghadvi said in many cases, relatives of patients do not prefer discharge even if the patient is fit to be discharged. He said a patient can be discharged if he/she has no fever for at least 48 hours, no hemodynamic instability and has attained normal and blood pressure for 24 hours. The patient also should be off oxygen for 48 hours prior to the discharge.
AHNA has also issued guidelines for the transfer of COVID-19 patients from one hospital to another.
Two days ago, the Supreme Court had pulled up Gujarat government over the rising number of COVID-19 cases. While noting that Gujarat is the worst affected state after New Delhi and Maharashtra, the apex court came down heavily on the government for allowing weddings and gatherings despite the increasing number of cases.
In May this year, Gujarat High Court was critical about the state of affairs in the 1,200-bed CIVIL Hospital of Ahmedabad treating COVID-19 patients and had observed that it is “as good as a dungeon, may be even worse”.
'The situation is under control' and 'there is nothing to worry about' have had been the favourite statements of politicians and bureaucrats overseeing and handling the COVID-19 situation.
However, the numbers tell a different tale.
In the past, a couple of civil society groups and the opposition Congress had highlighted the discrepancies in the death toll given by the authorities and the last rites performed with COVID-19 protocols.
Dr. Parthiv Mehta, Ahmedabad-based leading pulmonologist on the Gujarat government panel on COVID-19, is candid about the administration’s failure to contain the pandemic in the state. He, however, said when it comes to treatment, there is more understanding of the disease and there is no shortage of life saving drugs.
He apportioned the blame on the incased number of cases to authorities who failed to create the necessary fear among people and the masses who took the pandemic lightly during the festive season. Dr. Mehta said if you actually want to know about the number of cases, you should see the number of micro containment zones.
Even as the micro containment zones have continued to rise, especially in Ahmedabad that was earlier a hotspot, former Physical Research Laboratory employee and activist Nirjhari Sinha too alleged the government failed to create the fear and the people took it lightly. She insisted that the figures of the total number of COVID-19 cases be segregated and details should be given about the number of persons home quarantined and those undergoing treatment in the hospitals.
She felt that Wednesday’s caseload of 1,540 is merely about patients undergoing treatment in the institutional facilities.
The state government, on November 2, announced that 200 people will be allowed in weddings. It was only when the numbers spiked post Diwali this number was reduced to 100.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, at the 80th Speakers’ Conference in Kevadia, one of the BJP MLAs tested positive.
The decision to hold the conference despite the increasing number of cases had faced criticism.
The state government was forced to hold its decision of re-opening higher secondary schools and colleges from November 23. The authorities had announced educational institutions will be reopened, despite reservations of the medical fraternity.
It is to be noted that the authorities at various levels have always maintained that the figures are not being hidden or under-reported.
