Covid-19: Andhra Pradesh readies line-up of 708 hospitals to tackle third wave

VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh is lining up 708 hospitals for the presumed third wave of Covid-19. At the peak of the second wave, 654 hospitals served Covid-19 patients.

Patients can avail treatment at 84 hospitals in Guntur district in the third wave, the highest number of hospitals being readied in any district, followed by East Godavari (81), Krishna (77) and Visakhapatnam (75).

Nearly 3,950 paediatric and neonatal beds are being added or converted to at these 708 hospitals based on the assumption that the third wave may hit the kids most. In all, after completion of the ongoing additions and conversions (from general beds to oxygen beds or oxygen beds to ICU beds), these hospitals will have about 60,000 beds.

The AP health department is setting up 120 pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants at various hospitals across the state. Due to the same, oxygen beds alone will constitute more than 60% of the total beds being prepared for the third wave at these 708 hospitals, apart from the ICU beds.

According to the health officials, these plants are being erected at the teaching, district and community hospitals having a bed capacity of 50 and above to cater to 100% ICU beds and about 50% non-ICU beds. All these plants are expected to come into operation by the third week of September.

From the initial hypoxia-related complications during the first wave, oxygen management took the centre stage at the peak of the second wave. Learning lessons from the second wave, the state is establishing oxygen plants at all major hospitals with a combined oxygen flow rate 1.07 lakh litres per minute (LPM).

Even though there is no clarity on the onset, timing and impact of the third wave, the state seems to be preparing for the worst case scenario. As per an earlier report submitted by the paediatric Covid-19 task force committee, constituted by the health department to guide on the preparation of the third wave, it is anticipated that Andhra Pradesh may witness 18 lakh new infections in the third wave. The AP health department has readied 13 lakh home isolation kits as nearly 90% patients may not require hospitalisation.

State Covid-19 nodal officer Dr K Rambabu said that the third wave’s effect on kids is only an assumption. “It is only a general understanding based on the fact that the vaccination is yet to start for the children. From increasing oxygen and ICU beds to roping in more hospitals and establishing oxygen plants, the health department is gearing up to tackle the third wave,” said Dr Rambabu.