Consider OGH, Niloufer for Covid treatment: Docs to Health Minister Eatala Rajender

Hyderabad: Gandhi Hospital beds are filling up at a fast pace due to big spike of cases in the last fortnight or so. At the same time, the number of frontline healthcare workers getting infected is increasing in the State.

With this backdrop, some doctors from Osmania General and Niloufer hospitals have urged the health department to consider Covid-19 treatment for infected patients in the two tertiary hospitals also.

According to a doctor, who did not wish to be quoted, there are some reasons for this request.

At present suspected cases are being kept in isolation wards at these hospitals and once the test results come, the concerned patient is being sent to Gandhi.

"Already Gandhi is overburdened with positive cases. Infected patients are just given symptomatic and supportive treatment whichever the hospital has as there are no drugs or vaccine for the virus.

What Gandhi is doing can be done in Osmania and Niloufer. Due to the jump in pediatric Covid-19 cases, staff from Niloufer were deputed in Gandhi as the existing staff could not handle the high number of cases.

This situation could be avoided if Niloufer is allowed to admit positive cases as they are anyhow admitting suspected cases," the doctor said.

Further, the medical fraternity felt that more Covid-19 hospitals meant PPE kits could be equally distributed among various hospitals.

At present the authorities are only focussed on ensuring PPE kits in Gandhi Hospital while the need of the hour is that all State hospitals should be provided with ample safety equipment as every patient visiting hospital should be considered as a Covid-19 carrier unless tested.

As mild symptomatic infected cases are being allowed to stay at home if desired by them, there is nothing wrong if hospitals like Osmania and Niloufer that have good critical care facilities could join Covid-19 action team.

Already, there is a talk going on in the health circles that mild and moderate cases have to be allowed in Area and District hospitals across the State, instead of bringing them all the way to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.

Gandhi can be made Covid-19 critical care hospital fully focussing on saving the lives of critically infected patients. Health Minister Eatala Rajender has been urged to give a kind consideration to this demand.