ICU’s can’t be shifted to Ground Floor; Will have to close them : AHNA

Ahmedabad: Ahmedabad Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (ANHA) on Tuesday opposed the directives of AMC that “ICUs in hospitals to be shifted to the ground floor. AMC had issued this directive after orders of the Gujarat High court.

In the latest development, Indian Medical Association (IMA), Gujarat Branch has called for a strike on 22 July.

“Emergency and OPD services will be closed in all private hospitals in the state on July 22 and patients will have to seek emergency or OPD treatment in a government or state-run hospital,” informed Dr Dilip Garhvi, President, Ahmedabad Medical Association.

Dr Bharat Gadhvi, President of ANHA told the press on Tuesday that despite the intent to save lives during the fire, this directive completely ignored scientific and medical evidence.

It’s not just ICUs that can be shifted, we will have to shift the operation theatre and Cath labs also, and the reason ICUs are not on the ground floor is to keep the contamination to a minimum as the movement is much higher on ground level” Gadhvi added.

“So if Hospitals are forced to comply with the directive without discussion, they will have to shut the ICUs and unfortunately, the patients will suffer,” Dr Gadhvi said.

It is noteworthy that even the ICUs of State Government and AMC-run hospitals are not on the ground floor.

According to the Indian Society of Critical Care Medical Expert Committee’s consensus statement on ICU design and planning from 2020, ICUs should be located in isolated areas and the ground floor should be avoided.

DeshGujarat