Lucknow, Apr 19 (IANS): Bowing to mounting pressure, the King George's Medical University (KGMU, one of the premiere Covid hospital in the state, has decided that the Trauma Centre will continue to function as usual while the KGMU has been converted into a Covid hospital.

KGMU Vice-Chancellor Lt. Gen (retd) Dr. Bipin Puri said, "Since we do not know which patient will be Covid positive, we will convert the ground floor as a holding area where RT-PCR test will be conducted on patients. Till their report comes, they will receive emergency treatment in the holding area. If positive, they will be shifted to Covid hospital, otherwise they will be shifted to the department concerned in the trauma building."

The government had initially decided to convert the entire KGMU as a Covid hospital from April 19, stating that only cardiology and gynaecology emergencies will be addressed by it.

However, sources said that both PGI and Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital have informed the government that they did not have expertise to deal with trauma cases.

The KGMU authorities also stated that trauma patients after stabilization had to be shifted out to departments concerned for further treatment which will now be a problem as all wards will have Covid patients.

Besides, converting a trauma centre into a Covid facility would make it out of bounds for emergency patients.

Several KGMU teachers were also raising concerns in the interest of patients.

Following these deliberations, sources said that it has been agreed upon that KGMU will lend its trauma expertise as before but once trauma patients have been stabilized at the trauma centre, the health department will have to make sure that patients are taken over by PGI and RML.