Hyderabad: The Gandhi Hospital doctors fear that the first Covid-19 case will affect their out-patient department and opine that common people are not going to opt for treatment in the hospital. Murmurs in different medial departments began soon after they saw the Union health ministry release on Twitter.
Senior, junior, resident and post-graduate doctors started calling each other to check whether the positive Covid19 case was indeed at Gandhi Hospital.
There were angry murmurs of protests and hushed voices of anger that the ‘isolation ward’ must not be in Gandhi Hospital as it was a general hospital. With 1,050-bed strength, there are a large number of patients in the hospital, some said. The hospital gets more than 1,000 outpatients every day along with their family and relatives.
The case led to debate amongst Gandhi doctors that in such cases, ‘isolation wards’ must be in campuses like the Chest Hospital at Erragadda or at TB hospital at Vikarabad.
The doctors worried that since Gandhi Hospital was in the heart of Secundera-bad. As this virus had become widespread quickly across China, it would not be ideal to have an isolation ward where so many people frequent.
A senior doctor said, “The isolation ward on eight floor will not be attended by many. Only those who are on duty will go there. There is already a lot of panic. We have surgical masks for hospital staff. Is it safe? Many coronavirus cases come as suspects but are confirmed later. Till then, they are in touch. What is their safety?”
