BENGALURU: Ever since the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), which was looking into only Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) and Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) cases, turned into a COVID-designated hospital on Thursday, it is being flooded with coronavirus cases, exhausting the shortstaffed facility. RGICD got the Covid tag after Victoria Hospital started running out of beds, and now, cases are being diverted here.
The hospital has a team of 15 doctors and a few nurses, who have to take care of SARI and ILI cases, COVID patients and also people coming in with other conditions.
RGICD director Dr C Nagaraj said, "The work load has increased now, and we have been involved in the Covid battle since day one. We are all working tirelessly and none of our doctors and nurses have taken a holiday. With an overload of patients now, it is getting difficult for us. We have asked the government to assign us doctors from the Bangalore Medical College Research Institute (BMCRI) and they have agreed to send 20 doctors. Once they come in, the situation will improve."
RGICD had 104 beds dedicated for Covid patients, but by Sunday, in a span of four days, all the beds are full. "We did not expect so many patients. With the government recently deciding to take the services of private hospitals, the burden on our hospital and other government facilities will reduce," he said.
But a video from the hospital's COVID ward went viral where patients are seen complaining about bad facilities and food, and lack of hygiene. Dr Nagaraj has set up a dedicated war room to look into the needs of patients.
"The patients needed toiletries and different cuisines. But we are giving them what dieticians suggested. However, we have set up a war room and doctors are individually asking patients what they require and we are providing it. We are now double-checking their needs," he said.
Girish Kumar, a patient at the COVID ward, said, "We don’t have any problems now. All the facilities are in place."