Mangaluru: Expressing concern over the growing influx of patients from neighbouring districts and states, the medical superintendent and district surgeon of Wenlock District Hospital, Dr Shivaprasad, on Friday said the hospital is facing a severe shortage of ICU beds, affecting the availability of critical care for local residents.
Addressing a press conference, Dr Shivaprasad directed hospitals referring critically ill patients to first confirm the availability of ICU beds before shifting them to Wenlock Hospital. He said the move is aimed at preventing unnecessary transfers of patients when no beds are available and ensuring better coordination between healthcare institutions.
The hospital has also proposed the addition of 50 ICU beds and sought the recruitment of additional staff to strengthen critical care services.
Hospitals asked to verify ICU bed availability
Dr Shivaprasad said Wenlock Hospital has already established a help desk and appointed a public relations officer to assist patients and their families. In addition, information regarding bed availability will be regularly updated on the hospital’s website to help referring hospitals make informed decisions.
He noted that critically ill patients on ventilator support are often brought to Wenlock Hospital from other districts without prior communication, despite the hospital already operating at full capacity.
“We are facing severe constraints as patients already on ventilator support are being brought directly from other districts without prior intimation,” he said.
According to the superintendent, such transfers can adversely affect patient health, particularly if they have to be shifted again because ICU beds are unavailable.
High patient load puts pressure on facilities
Although Wenlock Hospital has 116 ICU beds, Dr Shivaprasad said they are frequently occupied due to the large number of patients admitted under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (AB-ARK) scheme.
He stressed that repeatedly transferring critically ill patients from one healthcare facility to another could pose serious health risks.
“It is unfair to blame Wenlock Hospital for turning away patients when beds are simply not available,” he said, adding that the hospital continues to treat patients from across Karnataka and neighbouring Kerala.
Majority of patients come from outside Dakshina Kannada
Sharing annual hospital statistics, Dr Shivaprasad said Wenlock Hospital treated 27,937 inpatients and 2,76,543 outpatients over the past year.
Of these, 12,147 inpatients and 1,46,974 outpatients were residents of Dakshina Kannada district. The remaining patients travelled from other districts in Karnataka and neighbouring Kerala, highlighting the hospital’s role as a major tertiary healthcare centre for the region.
The increasing patient load, he said, has placed considerable pressure on the hospital’s infrastructure and intensive care facilities.
Proposal for additional ICU beds
To address the shortage, the hospital will submit a proposal to the state government seeking approval for 50 additional ICU beds along with the required medical and support staff.
Dr Shivaprasad said the issue has already been discussed with the state Health Minister. A memorandum has also been submitted to the Commissioner of the Health Department requesting the implementation of a 10-point protocol governing the referral of patients between district hospitals.
The proposed guidelines are intended to streamline inter-district referrals and reduce unnecessary transfers of critically ill patients.
Call for structured referral mechanism
Dakshina Kannada District Health Officer Dr H R Thimmayya, who also addressed the press conference, emphasised the need for a structured state-level referral mechanism.
He said private hospitals should not levy charges on patients referred under the AB-ARK scheme and called for strict implementation of uniform referral protocols across Karnataka.
Health officials believe that better coordination between government and private healthcare institutions will improve patient management and reduce the burden on tertiary hospitals.
First patient treated under PM Rahat scheme
Dr Shivaprasad also announced that Wenlock Hospital has successfully treated its first patient under the PM Rahat scheme, which provides cashless emergency treatment to road accident victims.
The scheme aims to ensure that accident victims receive immediate medical care without financial barriers during the crucial initial period after an accident.
To avail of the benefit, accident details must be registered on the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD/e-DAR) portal within 24 hours of the incident.
Once registered, eligible patients can receive cashless treatment for up to one week without the need to produce documents. The scheme provides financial assistance of up to Rs 1.5 lakh, which may be extended to Rs 2.5 lakh in cases involving severe injuries.
The benefit is available to both Above Poverty Line (APL) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) cardholders.
Focus on strengthening healthcare services
Hospital authorities said the proposed expansion of ICU facilities, improved referral protocols and implementation of government health schemes are aimed at enhancing patient care while ensuring that critically ill patients receive timely treatment.
With patient inflow continuing to rise from across Karnataka and neighbouring Kerala, officials hope that additional infrastructure and better coordination among hospitals will help ease pressure on Wenlock Hospital and improve healthcare access for residents of Dakshina Kannada.