Opens 120-bed step-down hospital to treat moderately ill Covid patients
Cytecare Hospitals in collaboration with Cloudphysician – a health-tech company, announced the opening of a step-down hospital in Bengaluru. The 120-bed Covid treatment centre has been developed by converting the school hostel into a healthcare facility. While Canadian International School offered its hostel facilities for setting up the centre, city-based NGO – Humanist Centre for Medicine and the Bengaluru chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization helped with the fundraising for the initiative.
The Centre was opened in the presence of SR Vishwanath – MLA, Yelahanka and CK Baba – Deputy Commissioner of Police, North East Division, Bengaluru.
The Cytecare step-down hospital will treat moderately ill Covid patients requiring oxygen support, given that they form a substantial percentage of all hospital admissions. Each bed has a dedicated oxygen concentrator, in addition to other healthcare facilities and nursing care. Some doctors and nurses will monitor patients every 4 hours/ 6 times a day. Through his initiative, hospital beds will be provided free to those who cannot afford them while Government rates will apply to others. The centre is also equipped with a centralized clinical command room to manage its operations as well as ensure an organised channel for the allocation of oxygen beds and other accessories.
Suresh Ramu – Co-founder and CEO, Cytecare Cancer Hospitals who led this initiative, said, “While we cannot offer Covid beds inside our cancer hospital, this was our way to serve the community. With the adoption of advanced process and technology, we have been able to scale this initiative in record time. All the clinical and non-clinical information will flow into a system to allow the Clinical command room – monitored round-the-clock by senior intensivists and senior nurses – to look at the data in real-time and help the clinical team address treatment protocols for patients, accordingly. We wish to share all our learnings, data systems and healthcare processes with those who would like to replicate this model elsewhere in the country.”
“Currently, a small percentage of Covid-19 patients require care in a High Dependency Unit (HDU) or Intensive Care Unit (ICU). With this Centre, we will be able to provide the level of care, essential for moderately ill Covid patients in need of oxygen support in a timely and efficient manner. This will also ensure a reduced load on hospitals, freeing up the beds for those requiring HDU/ICU care. With a robust command centre, efficient on-ground teams, supported by our senior ICU specialist doctors and nurses, we expect to see most patients go back home from our step-down facility,” said Dr Dileep Raman from Cloudphysician.
Shweta Sastri, MD, Canadian International School, noted, “The current crisis calls for a collaborative effort. The BBMP and our healthcare providers have been working under immense stress for over a year now. We need to step up and offer a helping hand. Canadian International School is happy to be of service and have our hostel function as an oxygen treatment centre in these tough times. Together, we can overcome this adversity.”
In this joint effort to tackle the shortage of hospital beds and oxygen availability in Bengaluru, Humanist Center for Medicine, a Bengaluru-based not-for-profit organization and Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) – Bangalore Chapter, have been actively raising funds for the initiative. Humanist is raising funds for a total of over Rs 6 crore for this initiative. With its vast network, EO has raised funds to purchase 130 oxygen concentrators and other accessories required to furnish the rooms and start the step-down facility.
