The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has reportedly asked private hospitals in the city to set aside around 40 percent of its bed capacity for COVID-19 patients. The development comes on a day Karnataka registered 4,373 fresh COVID-19 cases, including 3,002 cases from Bengaluru Urban alone. Currently, private hospitals in the city have been setting aside 10 percent of their bed capacity for COVID-19 patients.
The President of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes’ Association (PHANA) told the Times of India that private hospitals have been asked to reserve up to 40 per cent of the beds for patients referred by BBMP under the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust. A detailed order is expected to be issued, Dr HM Prasanna told the newspaper.
The new COVID-19 cases reported on Saturday and 19 related fatalities, took the total caseload in the state to 10.10 lakh and the toll to 12,610, the health department bulletin said on Saturday. The health bulletin said that on a positive note the day also saw 1,959 patients getting discharged after recovery.
Cumulatively 10,10,602 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed in the state since March 8, 2020, which includes 12,610 deaths and 9,61,359 discharges, the bulletin stated. The virus claimed 19 lives, including six each in Bengaluru and Mysuru, three in Hassan, two in Mandya and one each in Tumakuru and Kalaburagi.
As the epi-centre of the infection in the state, Bengaluru reported 3,002 fresh cases on Friday, taking its COVID tally to 4,44,244, including 26,544 active cases, while 4,13,058 patients recovered till date, with 1,052 during the day. "Out of 36,614 active cases, 36,287 patients are stable and in isolation at designated hospitals, while 327 are in Intensive Care Units (ICUs). Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru each accounted for six deaths, Hassan (3), Mandya (2), and one each from Kalaburagi and Tumakuru.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 4,44,244, followed by Mysuru 56,264 and Ballari 39,913. Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 4,13,058, followed by Mysuru 54,331 and Ballari 38,969. A total of over 2,17,69,721 samples have been tested so far, out of which 1,23,830 were on Friday alone.
"Positivity rate for the day rose to 3.53 per cent while the case fatality rate was 0.43 percent across the state on Friday," added the bulletin. Of the 327 patients in the ICUs, 157 are in Bengaluru hospitals, 32 in Kalaburagi, 24 in Mysuru, 23 in Bidar, 13 in Dakshina Kannada, and 15 in Tumkur, with the rest spread in the remaining 26 districts across the southern state.
Meanwhile, a total of 44,0532 people above 45 years in age, including senior citizens, comorbid, healthcare workers and frontline warriors were vaccinated during the day across the state. "Cumulatively, 41,73,573 people have been vaccinated across the state since the drive was launched on January 16 and stepped up on April 3 when senior citizens above 60 years and those with comorbid in the 45-59 years of age were also given the jab," the bulletin said.
(With PTI inputs)