The Palos islands hospital has a shortage of beds, with a shortage that could put patients’ lives at risk, health officials say.
Dr K V Kannan, the hospital’s director-general, said the emergency room has been running out of beds since the end of March.
The hospital has 1,000 beds, but there are currently only 1,200 available, he said.
He said he was trying to find more beds, including for people who were not due to return for three weeks.
He said the hospital had only 500 beds in its emergency room.
“We have not had any calls or calls coming in to the emergency department, or anyone at the hospital,” he said, adding that the hospital was using a temporary bed at the time.
He blamed the shortage on the Palo-French islanders, who live in an island community called Koota.
“They were forced to move to Kootas for their own protection.
The situation was not good in the early part of the year,” he added.
He called for more beds for the rest of the patients.
“If we cannot keep these patients in the hospital, we will have to shut down our hospital and our hospital will be empty,” he told reporters.
He also said there were people waiting for a new bed at Palos Hospital.