Hyderabad: Patient attendants more prone to virus

Hyderabad: Not just getting themselves exposed to the virus and contracting the disease, but these attendants stand a higher risk of transmitting the disease to their families as well as outsiders as they commute inside and outside of the hospitals. Moreover, they are seen sleeping and eating infact living in the parking areas of the or footpaths outside the hospitals.

The same is the scene outside almost all the government hospitals in the city including MNJ Cancer Hospital, Niloufer Hospital, Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital, Osmania Hospital and at other Covid facilities across the city.

Amid lockdown, the financially deprived attendants who are from states districts are more exposed to the virus and infections as they helplessly have to use the same unhygienic washrooms and sleep on the benches and on footpaths. All the non-Covid public hospitals have at least 100 attendants waiting for their loved ones.

"I came along with my husband for his treatment and now even am getting hospitalised, as I contracted the virus living under the shelter in hospital's parking lot," said S Kumari, a patient attendant from Nirmal district who is currently at MNJ hospital.

The irony is, the government has not tested any of the attendants. "Everyone here is at risk. We live together. Share common toilets. Sleep close to each other because the shelters are small, but there is no choice. My father in ICU need me.

I am called now and then by the doctors, to get medicines," said another patient attendant from Alampur village living in a shade next to Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital, Hyderabad.

Meanwhile the situation at Niloufer Women and Children's hospitals can get goosebumps, as several aged mothers wait outside the hospital, while their daughter's are admitted in the hospital for delivery.

"We have come here from Vikarabad for my daughter's delivery," said 59-year-old Saleha Jabeen, who is currently taking care of two of her toddler granddaughters under shelter in Niloufer hospital along with 100 different people living in the same shelter. Alike is the scene at Osmania Hospital.

Meanwhile, some private hospitals in the city are making attendants run errands for getting medicines and oxygen cylinders.

However, the State Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar recently visited Niloufer Hospitala and during his inspection he announced to provide better facilities but they are yet to be done.