TIRUNELVELI: Covid-19 positive patients were reportedly made to wait at the entrance of Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital (TvMCH) for over 10 hours on Monday night. They were admitted only after the Collector intervened.
Nearly 30 patients, who arrived at TvMCH from various parts of the district around 12.30 pm, complained that they were made to wait for over 10 hours without food. A family member of an elderly couple, from Kalakkad, said, “My father-in-law and mother-in-law are aged 72 and 62.
They were dropped at the hospital by an ambulance in the afternoon. Since then, they were made to wait at the entrance of the treatment block until 11 pm. Later, when Collector ShilpaPrabhakar Satish called my father-in-law, they were admitted,” the person added.
According to the couple, most of the patients were not given food even after admission. “Making the patients wait without food will affect their health more than Covid. As my in-laws are diabetic, they need timely food. With them testing positive, the entire house is under quarantine. This is making it difficult for us to send food,” the family member added.
A discharged patient from Ambasamudram reiterated the same problem. “Most of the patients are not given timely food and new patients are made to wait till 3 am most of the time. They should be provided food while they are waiting for admission,” the patient said.
Admitting that there might be a delay in admission, sources from the Health Department assured to address the issue. With the number of active patients nearing 1,000-mark on Tuesday, officials stated they are working on a plan to transfer non-Covid patients from TvMCH to government hospitals in rural districts. At present, TvMCH and government Kudankulam hospital are treating Covid patients. Besides, two care centres, including a private college for asymptomatic patients, are functioning in the district.
Responding to the allegations, senior officials of TvMCH said patients were transferred as per their condition (symptomatic and asymptomatic) to Government Siddha College, Kudankulam GH and Covid care centres. There was a delay in admission and that led to the patients wait. Action has been taken in this matter. From Tuesday, Covid patients can get admitted to the care centres, Siddha College Hospital and GH. They will be shifted after getting screened for symptoms.