Covid management: State to install 7 ECMO devices at Sambhunath Pandit Hospital

Kolkata: As a part of its attempt to enhance health infrastructure in the state ahead of a possible third wave of Covid, the Health department has decided to set up an Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) hub at the Sambhunath Pandit Hospital for the better management of the critical patients and also strengthening pediatric infrastructure.

Sources in the health department said as many as 7 ECMO machines would be installed at Sambhunath Pandit hospital soon. This is for the first time any government run hospital is going to get such facilities.

The hospital is being utilised for treating Covid patients. Four new buildings have come up. The number of beds is being increased by the health department before the possible third wave.

A team of doctors from the SSKM Hospital would handle the proposed ECMO set up at the Sambhunath Pandit Hospital. Two ECMO machines were installed at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) during the first wave of Covid. Once the new set up is ready, many critical patients can be treated under ECMO support at Sambhunath Pandit hospital. Critical patients from the other government hospitals who would be requiring ECMO support can be brought to this hospital for better treatment. A special team of doctors would be set up to operate the ECMO hub while SSKM senior officials would supervise the progress of works.

ECMO is also known as extracorporeal life support, a technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to the people. For patients suffering from respiratory failure, ECMO systems can completely support the lungs for months. It gives critical patients a chance to overcome life threatening illness. ECMO machines are run by perfusionists. An ECMO unit also requires cardiothoracic vascular surgeons, cardiologists, pulmonologists and intensivists. Senior health department officials on Saturday supervised the health infrastructure at the SSKM Hospital mainly the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). They also reviewed how many beds can be increased at the SSKM.

The Health department has also laid stress on the pediatric infrastructure as the experts have expressed their apprehension that more children may get infected with Covid during the third wave. PICUs would be set up at different district hospitals.

According to a senior health official, the district hospitals in Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, North Dinajpur, Purulia, Rampurhat, Diamond Harbour would get PICU soon. Even the overall pediatric beds would also be increased in various hospitals. Around 254 pediatric beds would be made ready in these districts.