THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram is weighed down by more staff members testing positive and many going into quarantine as a result, reports surfaced that 14 patients who were under treatment for various illnesses here and 10 bystanders have also tested positive.As per reports, they are the people who came in contact with doctors and medical staff here who tested positive earlier. Twenty medical staff and seven doctors have tested positive in the hospital till date. As their primary contacts, around 50 doctors and 75 health workers are under quarantine.
System ineffective
While reports have surfaced that there is lack of facilities in the Medical College to care for people who test positive, the hospital authorities have come out against it. A patient in the Covid ward however, confirmed some of the allegations.“There is a lack of space between the beds. Some of the patients don’t wear masks and that’s a difficult thing to handle. The ward has both male and female patients, separated only by pillars. There are over 25 female patients on one side of the pillar and even more male patients on the other side. I would not blame the health workers as they are doing their best. However it is evident that the current system is not working especially when we have too many new patients,” said the patient.
She said that treating asymptomatic patients at home would be an option to look into now. “The patient burden on the hospital is high. There needs to be a solid plan. We have a child with mental health issues admitted in the ward. He is restless and some of the inmates in the ward are scared of him. There should be a facility to move patients who show mental distress,” she added. Earlier patients who had such issues were moved to Peroorkada Mental Health Centre.Male and female patients, according to her, are using the same toilet in the ward. “Some of us try to use the toilet as little as possible. There must be different protocols for the patients based on their disease and needs,” she added.