VIJAYAWADA: Eighteen-year-old P Prem Kumar, a resident of Gunadala, was admitted to Vijayawada Government General Hospital (GGH), as he was suffering from viral fever. At the time of admission, there were no vacant beds in the inpatient ward, due to which he had to lay on the floor. He was able to share a bed with another person only after one of the patients was discharged on Thursday. Prem Kumar’s was among many cases in which patients who complained of fever were seen lying on the floor to receive treatment.
“We admitted our son at the hospital two days ago, but we got a bed for him only today (Thursday) morning. He is suffering from high fever but was tested negative for dengue and malaria. His platelet count is falling and the doctors say that he needs platelet transfusion,” said P Prema Jyothi, Prem’s mother.
Meanwhile, both government and private hospitals in Vijayawada city were flooded with hundreds of viral fever cases after rains over the last two months. Along with cases of malaria and dengue cases, viral fever cases were being widely reported from the district.
The general ward of the new GGH in the city was completely filled with viral fever patients. Due to the shortage, patients were made to share beds or sleep on the floor. In a ward with 30 beds, around 55 patients were being accommodated. Despite discharges, the number of admissions were far more.
Speaking to TNIE, P Nancharaiah, GGH superintendent, said: “As the number of fever cases are more, there was a shortage of beds in the hospital. We are trying to accommodate these patients in other wards. In case if all the wards are full, only then we ask them to lay on the floor. As many are discharged by evening, those on the floor are given beds.”
Even the figure of outpatients complaining of fever has increased to a great extent. On Thursday, hundreds were seen waiting to get treated at the outpatient ward of the GGH.
In August alone, 504 suspected dengue cases were registered in the Vijayawada GGH; of them, 16 turned out to be positive. Since January, 2,760 suspected dengue cases were registered across Krishna.