Before swine flu became a fully blown outbreak in Hyderabad, the doctors and medicos at Gandhi Hospital, the general hospital chosen as the nodal centre for Ebola and swine flu cases, had requested top health authorities to set up an exclusive quarantine facility at either Fever Hospital in Nallakunta or at Chest Hospital in Erragadda.
Reason for such a demand was obvious, as senior doctors privy to the issue pointed out that Gandhi Hospital is just not suited to receive patients with such highly contagious ailments because of its ‘general hospital’ tag. But, “lack of ventilators and shortage of technical persons were cited as the reasons for not considering them,” a doctor explained.
Needless to say, at present, ever since the number of swine flu patients started increasing, there has been a drastic drop in the number of general patients to Gandhi Hospital.
Doctors admit there is a question mark on safety of general patients because of lack of separate Acute Medical Care (AMC) units to isolate suspected swine flu patients and others.
At present, a suspected swine flu patient shares the same room with normal patients and they are given isolation wards only when tested positive.
“Lack of space is making us take a chance though there is always an inherent risk to general patients. Also why there has been a rash of discharges among general patients in the last few weeks,” doctors said.
Once patients are tested positive for swine flu, they are shifted to isolation wards in eighth floor through the common lift, also used by general public, doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital administration staff etc. “It’s not just doctors and others at risk here, general patients too are susceptible as their immunity levels are already low,” doctors explained.
In any case, general sanitation scenario at the hospital is not great with debris all around, especially on the rear, providing ideal conditions for water stagnation and mosquito breeding. Inadequate infrastructure like availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is another issue as there is a perennial shortage of N95 masks and vaccination.
The doctors and health care workers at Gandhi Hospital received swine flu vaccine way back in 2011-12.
Swine Flu virus outbreak in Hyderabad
