THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever since a majority of the government hospitals were converted to Covid hospitals, non-Covid patients have had a harrowing time. People coming for rabies shots and treatment at de-addiction centres are among the most affected.
Under the circumstances, the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital authorities have approached the district medical officer requesting to designate it as a non-Covid hospital from July 15. The General Hospital was converted into an exclusive Covid hospital last August after a spurt in the number of coronavirus cases in the capital. The hospital has 300 beds and during the pre-Covid days at least 3,000 people visited the OP wing daily.
Though the health department had announced about the move, a vast section of people remain unaware of that and visit the hospital. They are being referred to the District Model Hospital at Peroorkada and the Taluk Hospital at Fort. A 40-year-old woman bitten by a dog was recently rushed to the General Hospital only to be told that rabies vaccination does not happen there.
“I was in terrible pain and bleeding profusely. Amid heavy rain, I was then rushed to the Fort Hospital. It would be good if the General Hospital caters to other emergency services too,” the woman from Kattakkada told TNIE.General Hospital Superintendent Dr Padmalatha said that she has given a proposal to District Medical Officer K S Shinu to revert the hospital’s status to the pre-Covid times from July 15.
“The OP wing should be able to function from that day. But the surgical block will have to be fumigated and other preparations made before attaining normalcy. Hence, it may take one more week for it to start functioning fully,” said Dr Padmalatha.
People suffering dog and cat bites or scratches prefer government hospitals as the outpatient ticket costs just Rs 5. Besides consultation fees, private hospitals charge Rs 1,500 or more for a single vial of immunoglobulins with four doses required normally in a period of one-and-a-half months.
Apart from the General Hospital, the Mental Health Centre at Peroorkada too has been converted into a Covid hospital. Dr L Anil Kumar, the superintendent at the Mental Health Centre, said that psychiatric patients, both Covid positive and negative, are admitted there.