The condition of fishermen, who were rescued from sea during the cyclonic storm and are being treated at the Government Medical College Hospital, is satisfactory. However, they would be discharged only after 72 hours, MCH authorities said.
Most of the patients had been brought to the MCH in an unconscious state following hypothermia (a potentially dangerous drop in body temperature), following prolonged exposure to the extreme cold conditions in the sea.
Many of them had muscle injury, resulting in the release of a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream. As increased myoglobin levels can damage the kidney cells, the patients might need to undergo dialysis, for which facilities have been readied, MCH authorities said.
They said that extensive arrangements have been made for the proper management of those rescued from sea and that an entire team of doctors and nurses and other hospital employees, as well as several NGOs were on duty round the clock at the hospital.
Several wards to treat over 100 patients had been readied and a help desk too had been set up at the hospital.
The Forensic Medicine department also worked overtime and post-mortems were performed at night itself so that the bodies could be released to the families without delay.
