Standard model for hybrid critical care units at 79 govt hosps on anvil

kolkata: State Health department is preparing a standard model for all the proposed 'hybrid CCUs', which will come up at 79 government hospitals across Bengal to further boost up infrastructure in critical care.

The standard model, which will be prepared by the department, will eventually be followed by all the hospitals while setting up the 'hybrid CCU', which is a specially-designed critical care unit.

"A model is being prepared by the department so that it can be replicated by all the hospitals, where hybrid critical care units will come up. It is being developed in such a manner so that the model can be followed by the hospitals. The size of the hybrid CCU may differ from one hospital to another, depending upon their availability of space," said a senior Health department official.

Incidentally, the Bengal government had allotted a fund of around Rs 10 crore for procuring various equipment for critical care units in government hospitals.

Health department will prepare the standard model on the basis of the suggestions given by some experts in the field. After the Covid pandemic broke out, the Health department felt the necessity of strengthening infrastructure in critical care as the elderly people with comorbidities mostly required CCU intervention.

In the last month, as there had been a huge surge in Covid cases, a majority of patients had undergone treatment from home isolation. Most elderly patients required hospital admission and many of them had to be admitted to the critical care units.

The State Health department has already instructed 79 government hospitals, including some of the superspecialty, district and sub-divisional hospitals, across Bengal to set up 'hybrid CCU'. According to sources, in each 'hybrid CCU' there will be 6 beds fitted with a ventilation system, while 18 beds will have critical care support.

The process of setting up 'hybrid CCU' was, however, initiated by the State Health department in September last year. The state government has given utmost importance to the expansion of critical care to combat Covid situation. A series of equipment will be procured, including Bubble CPAP, BiPAP, Humidifier etc.