Sir,

As Covid cases surge, Hospitals and Medical Staff in Mysuru are beginning to get overwhelmed. According to numerous medical professionals, about 20-25% of the ICU beds in Mysuru are being taken up by patients from the three neighbouring districts of Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu.

Use District Medical College Hospitals

It is time the administration in these three districts stepped up facilities because all these three districts — Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu — have Medical College Hospitals and these Hospitals have doctors, house surgeons and nurses. They have the infrastructure and all that the administration has to do is ramp up the beds or create an ICU.

Why are they not doing it? Is it simply because it is easier to send patients to Mysuru? The State Government should force these local Governments to do more than just declare containment zones and push for vaccination drives.

Use Super-Speciality Hospital

As the fear of hearing “no beds” creeps up, may be it is time to open and use the newly-constructed Government Super- Speciality Hospital, which is next to the Trauma Care Centre on KRS-Metagalli road.

This Hospital can be easily turned into an ICU with 250 beds and more importantly this hospital has an Oxygen generator and piped oxygen which lessens the burden on cylinders.

While at it, may be, like the District Administration did last year, it can take over the defunct Vikram Hospital in Yadavagiri which can have about 40-50 bed ICU with piped oxygen.

These steps will greatly reduce the bed shortage problem that may arise in Mysuru if the cases keep increasing in the city and the neighbouring districts.

– A Hospital Administrator, Mysuru, 18.4.2021

You can also mail us your views, opinions, and stories to [email protected]