COVID Scare: Guwahati Might Soon Turn Out like Delhi, Mumbai, Hospitals Running out of Beds: Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa

Guwahati: Assam's main city Guwahati is headed towards a critical situation as far as the COVID situation is concerned. The number of COVID cases in the city is rising at double the rate of the number of beds available. At this rate the city's government hospitals and COVID care centres would exhaust all hospital beds, state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

"If we record 10,000 cases a day then our situation will soon be the same as Delhi or Mumbai. If cases touch 10,000 then even if someone tries, beds cannot be made available. We have reached out to private hospitals to make more oxygen beds available. Royal Global University has come forward to give beds with oxygen facilities," state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday.

The state government is now looking at converting rail coaches into COVID care centres. Sarma has been monitoring the situation round the clock, taking constant stock of every hospital and every COVID care centre in the state.

He had earlier said that the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital's old building had already run out of beds for COVID patients. Another 270 oxygen beds have been added at the super speciality facility of GMCH.

He had expressed concern over the fast-rising number of COVID cases and deaths in the state and in Kamrup Metro area in particular.

Regarding the high death rate, the minister said that anybody whose oxygen levels drop to 92 should reach out to the nearest healthcare centre or hospital. He requested people to keep pulse oximeters at home and said that the government is exploring the possibility of giving pulse oximeters free of cost to poor families.

Assam recorded 4,475 cases on Tuesday (May 4), this is much higher than what the state had recorded at its peak last year. The maximum number of cases the state had recorded during its peak last year was around 3,500 cases.

Kamrup (M) once again recorded the maximum number of cases with 1,417 people infected. The positivity rate stands at 8.14% as of May 4, Tuesday. Of the total 41 deaths reported on Tuesday, 15 are from Kamrup (M).

According to reports, places like Nalbari and Nagaon have already run out of hospital beds.

Meanwhile, a vaccination drive was conducted at the Guwahati Press Club where over 100 journalists were vaccinated. State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was present to ensure that the vaccination drive was hassle-free.

The state has also started the vaccination drive for people above 18 years of age.

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