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Our Correspondent
Kohima, May 18 (EMN): Dr. Vikethonyü Kesiezie, managing director of Oking Hospital and Research Clinic Pvt. Ltd., a private hospital in Kohima, informed Eastern Mirror on Tuesday that they have decided to increase the number of beds from four-bedded ICU to 12-bedded ICU and have prepared 10 isolated cabins for Covid-19 patients.
He added that the hospital management decided to increase the number of beds for Covid patients in view of "the ever-increasing need for hospitalisation".
Though half of the normal wards have been shut, in order to cater to the needs of Covid patients, non-Covid and emergency services are functioning following strict and utmost care while dealing with non-Covid cases, he informed.
He therefore, requested their "valued clientele" to continue following basic protocol of wearing mask, washing and sanitising hands before and after entering the hospital, maintaining social distancing at all times, following one patient one attendant policy as far as possible and self declaring of symptoms related to Covid on coming to the hospital.
While sharing that private hospitals are bound to admit Covid patients as per the directives of the Supreme Court, the managing director said Kohima doesn't have a dedicated Covid-19 hospital yet because the authority has not converted ICU beds at NHAK into Covid ICU yet.
He said they have been ‘forced to convert their ICU into Covid ICU because all Covid patients who need hospitalisation need ICU and oxygen therapy'.
Despite some portion of the hospital already being put in place to "strengthen the fight against Covid", the doctor expressed apprehension about the possibility of 'serious Covid patients' coming to the facility in the next couple of months.
"I don't know what to do," he sighed, while expressing hope that the government will take care of the needs.