Private hospitals and nursing homes in Karnataka have said that they are facing shortage of doctors, nurses and ward staff to treat and take care of patients battling COVID-19.
At a press conference on Wednesday, R. Ravindra, president of the Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Association (PHANA), said they were facing 30% shortage of doctors and 50% shortage of nurses and ward boys. He attributed this to multiple reasons ranging from healthcare workers contracting the virus to many fearing that they will get infected. “Some of them have stopped coming as they are worried that they will contract the infection while treating patients. Many of our staff went to their hometowns during the lockdown and have not returned,” he said. Around 6% to 10% of staff have tested positive and are under quarantine.
Dr. Ravindra also said that while the hospitals had enough infrastructure, they were struggling for want of staff. “We appeal to our staff to come back to duty as we are facing gross shortage. Even though we are offering double salary and are promising them health insurance, doctors and nurses are refusing to come,” said Dr. Ravindra.
According to PHANA, hospitals are facing a severe shortage of anaesthesiologists who are at high risk of contracting the virus when they treat COVID-19 patients in intensive care units. He said the State government had even promised to provide private hospitals with ventilators if needed.
As a result of the shortage, many patients in private hospitals complained that doctors were conducting fewer rounds per day and giving priority to most-serious patients.
Vikram Sreeram, managing director of Mallige Hospital, said they have 20% to 30% shortage of nurses in the hospital. “While some of them have legitimate reasons, many are stuck in their hometowns. We need at least 20 to 30 doctors right now,” he said.
Another doctor who works at a private hospital in Bengaluru said: “We have told all doctors who are above 60 not to report for duty. But, there is fear among the doctor community. Many claim that they have symptoms and don’t report to work. There is no way we can verify this and have to accept what they tell us.”
H. Sudarshan Ballal, director of Manipal Group of Hospitals, said they were facing shortage of staff after many tested positive and others are in quarantine. “We are trying to work in shift system so that one group does not get affected even if someone tests positive in the other,” he said.
The association has written to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences to depute their final-year nursing students, including those who are specialising in Ayurveda and other streams.
