Chennai: Around 16 doctors and seven nurses at Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital, one of the important state-run healthcare centres in Chennai, have reportedly tested positive for Covid-19.
The has come as big blow to those who are in the frontline of fight against novel coronavirus.
It is said some ‘senior doctors’ in the hospital were tested positive for the infection. However, these doctors were not in the coronavirus ward and were coming to the hospital daily for administrative work and other meetings.
Dr Jayakumar, who works at the hospital, said only a few of them have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The others are on home quarantine. He pointed out that the hospital was located at a highly infectious place.
“It is an island surrounded by hotspots such as Mannady, Washermenpet, Broadway, Mint, Royapuram and Thiru-vi-ka Nagar.” A few days ago, a single street in Royapuram reported 36 fresh cases of Covid-19.
He added that other doctors were taking all precautions. Apart from doctors, four male nurses and three female nurses have tested positive and are undergoing treatment.
Some of the asymptomatic doctors are put in isolation at guest houses of a premier Central government Institute in Adyar. Some doctors and nurses even asked for a separate ward in Stanley Hospital.
The incident had led to discussion that the State may see a shortage of doctors and nurses to treat Covid-19 patients and the hospitals may run out of beds.
Dr Ravindranath of Doctors Association for Social Equality said, “They are not providing sufficient PPE kits and quality masks. The doctors and nurses are working for long hours. They should not work for more than six hours. After working for seven days, they should be on quarantine for 14 days. Such norms are not being followed. If the situation persists our medical care system will be affected”.
Lack of ambulances in city?
All covid-19 suspected patients are not being taken to the hospital and are sometime even denied ambulances, it is alleged.
Patients are reportedly going to hospitals in separate vehicles which is risky. In Tamilnadu, there are 948 ambulances for various government hospitals, out of which the city has 48. However, with the Covid-19 numbers rising in the city, Chennai has borrowed ambulances from Thiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Villupuram.
With hundreds of cases being reported each day, this could be a reason why ambulances services have a poor response to patients needing to reach hospital. However, officials said all healthcare services are being promptly provided.