The surge in COVID-19 cases is stretching hospital resources in Chennai. Flooded with hundreds of patients, government medical college hospitals in the city are overwhelmed and doctors are worried that the existing manpower will be inadequate to manage the rush in the coming days. In fact, many doctors suggest that their counterparts from agencies such as the Greater Chennai Corporation be roped in. The city has 3,632 active cases.
“A section of doctors and nurses is placed under quarantine, while some have tested positive for COVID-19. The patient load is so high that adequate personnel will be required in the coming days. Already, the morale is affected and the workforce is feeling exhausted and stressed. It is time that doctors and nurses from the Directorate of Medical Services (DMS) and the corporation are roped in. The Indian Medical Association should also chip in,” a senior doctor said.
Another senior doctor suggested that medical officers of the Corporation should take over treatment at COVID care centres.
Sharing load
“Medical colleges are deputing doctors and staff nurses to these centres. Instead, Corporation medical officers should take over screening and managing patients at these centres. If they take care of asymptomatic patients, we can handle patients in need of treatment,” the doctor added.
An assistant professor said that doctors were being deputed from affiliated institutions such as the Institute of Child Health, the Government Ophthalmic Hospital and the Government Dental College to these quarantine facilities.
“To reduce the workload in the city, doctors and staff from peripheral centres and hospitals in areas that have fewer cases could be roped in,” he said.
Future tense
Doctors fear they may soon run out of hands if the surge in cases continues. “Right now, relaxations in lockdown are bringing in more patients. Once the lockdown is lifted, we will have a surge in cases. Then, we may not have sufficient manpower for managing COVID-19 wards and facilities,” a senior doctor said.
A doctor at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital said that as of now, non-clinical doctors were not posted on COVID-19 duties.
In fact, the National Health Mission-Tamil Nadu, in a letter to the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services, said that Chennai was facing an acute shortage of healthcare professionals due to the pandemic. Tertiary care hospitals providing maternal healthcare were bearing the brunt of the pandemic because of the shortage of manpower.
The letter said that it would be necessary to divert obstetricians and gynaecologists from institutions under DMS to maternity hospitals in Chennai — IOG Egmore, RSRM Royapuram, KMC and KG Hospital — under the Directorate of Medical Education.
K. Senthil, president of the Tamil Nadu Government Doctors Association, said, “The worst is yet to come, and the situation is worrisome. The government has to engage Corporation medical officers on COVID-19 duty, and mobilise AYUSH doctors. Outpatient services should be streamlined once lockdown is lifted and the government should issue guidelines such as on physical distancing. If not, OP services will be flooded, and there are high chances that healthcare professionals will be infected,” he said.
