Tirupati: Agonising wait for non-Covid patients continues in SVIMS

Tirupati: The long wait for non-Covid patients to get treatment for various diseases in SVIMS OP services will continue for another 15 days without any respite. The woes of several non-Covid patients have been increasing with every passing day as SVIMS has suspended OP services since July 14 initially for a week citing the reason that many doctors, nursing and paramedical staffs were infected by coronavirus.

Since then the suspension has been extending regularly till now which has to end by Monday. But, the medical superintendent Dr Ram has made it clear that there would be no OP services for another 15 days. It may be noted that SVIMS Sri Padmavati state Covid hospital has been witnessing a buzz of activity with ever-increasing number of Covid patients daily.

The hospital authorities have been saying that it would be difficult for patients with other diseases to visit the premises as they may get exposed with Covid patients and their wards. To control the further spread of deadly virus and the wellbeing of non-Covid patients, it was decided to continue the suspension of OP services. However, the emergency and OT services will continue as usual, the Medical superintendent said.

Needless to say that SVIMS used to get more than 1,500 OPs on normal days as the super specialty hospital has several departments offering treatment by specialist doctors. Ruia hospital also registered more than 1,000 OPs daily. But since the Covid-19 cases started reporting, the OP services at both these hospitals were suspended saying that only emergency care will be provided. After lockdown restrictions are lifted, OP services were resumed for a brief period only. But, there were complaints from patients that they could not get admission during emergencies also. It was learnt that both the hospitals have been facing severe shortage of both doctors and nurses to offer non-Covid services as most of the available staff were engaged in Covid duties.

With many private hospitals also have shut their doors for non-Covid treatment and insisting on Covid tests for emergency patients, the hapless patients with several other diseases like, kidney failures, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems have been facing severe hardship as they could not get follow-up treatment. The non-Covid deaths are also increasing everywhere though they they are considered as natural deaths.