KOCHI: The government’s decision to convert Kalamassery Medical College Hospital into an exclusive Covid hospital has once again affected the students and house surgeons at the hospital.“The decision which will put the training of medical students in the lurch, and stall the treatment of non-Covid patients, is unacceptable,” said Siby Manuel Jose, president of house surgeons at MCH.
“While in other districts, medical colleges remain primarily centres for medical training and treatment of non-Covid patients, with taluk and district hospitals being converted to Covid hospitals, here, the government is neglecting medical students who are under training. There is no way ahead that has been thought of, for their clinical training and house surgency practice,” said Siby.
Over the past three months since the hospital resumed treatment of non-Covid patients, many people have been referred for specialist medical help, from government hospitals across the district. “In the event of conversion to a Covid hospital, these patients will have to depend on private hospitals which charge exorbitantly high rates,” said an MBBS student with the MCH.
Though the collector had assured that full-fledged facilities for Covid treatment, including operation theatre and ICU, would be made available at the Aluva District Hospital by January 31 this year, despite two and a half months having elapsed, this has not materialised. “Covid patients certainly require proper treatment. However, non-Covid patients and medical students should not be made scapegoats in the process. The neglect being shown to the medical college should stop. The practice of shifting only those Covid patients who require specialist attention in ICU, to the Medical College, should be maintained,” said Siby.