THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With evidence of increasing rate of Covid-19 infection among the staff of the hospital coming to light, the resident doctors are demanding the shutting down of non-Covid OPs and halting elective surgeries. Around 200 doctors and healthcare workers have gone into quarantine in the past one week
The surge in Covid-19 cases and the increasing infection rate among healthcare workers are raising serious concern over infection control measures at the Medical College Hospital (MCH) which is the only tertiary-level Covid-19 care facility in the district. The resident doctors of the MCH have yet again expressed dissent and have demanded the shutting down of non-Covid OPs and halting elective surgeries. They have further called for immediate mass testing of healthcare workers to contain the infection spread within the hospital.
According to sources, the MCH has turned into a local cluster of Covid-19. Around 200 doctors and healthcare workers have gone into quarantine in the past one week. From the general surgery department, around 10 faculty members, 38 junior doctors and 23 house surgeons are currently in quarantine. President of the MCH unit of Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association Dr Nidhin George Kodiyan said they have requested for a minimum of 2,000 antigen testing kits to screen hospital staff immediately.
“It has been three or four days since we requested to carry out mass testing. The authorities are asking us to wait longer. Recently, two non-Covid patients tested positive. Many people might have contracted the virus from them. We can identify and isolate people only after testing. Twenty-three out of the 33 house surgeons are in quarantine right now. There are several other speciality departments treating non-Covid patients. These departments will also have to be sealed if proper measures are not taken,” said Dr Nidhin.
According to him, it would be ideal to shut down non-Covid OPs temporarily for at least two weeks. “After two weeks, these OPs could be resumed partially.” With the situation aggravating, the doctors have demanded PPE kits and other personal gear for staff in the non-Covid-19 departments as well. As per reports, it is in the non-Covid wards the 95 per cent of the infection is being reported. The doctors allege that personal protection gear including N95 masks, goggles and surgical aprons are available for only 60 per cent of the staff.
“There should be an increased supply of N95 masks. Sometimes, we get protective gear only after placing a request. The doctors have to wait for the gear when they start their shift,” said Dr Nidhin. A senior official of the MCH administration, however, said the situation is under control. “There is no need for a shutdown. The non-Covid tertiary care provided by the hospital is irreplaceable. We will be able to contain the situation in two weeks. We have given strict directions to the staff to use N95 mask, goggles, face shield and surgical apron when they are on duty.
Personal safety should be given utmost importance.” As part of containment efforts, MCH authorities have decided to ban visitors at the hospital. “Only one bystander would be allowed with a patient. We have decided to contain crowding in wards by reducing the number of beds. Proper distance would be maintained between beds,” added the official. The official said that the referral system should be enforced strictly to bring down the number of non-Covid OPs.
“We have been demanding the enforcement of a referral system for many years. We cannot turn away patients. Other hospitals accept patients based on the the availability of beds but we cannot do that as this is the only option for many people.” The staff of MCH have decided to take up the issue with the district administration. An official of the district administration said that a meeting would soon be held in this regard.
Doctors call for strict measures
The doctors have also called for immediate mass testing of staff to contain the infection spread. President of the MCH unit of Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association Dr Nidhin George Kodiyan said they have requested for a minimum of 2,000 antigen testing kits