Staff, patients at risk of dengue at Ernakulam Medical College Hospital

KOCHI: The students, including house surgeons and staff of Ernakulam Government Medical College, are a worried lot as they fear contracting contagious diseases, including dengue fever. The campus at Kalamassery wears an eerie look with several parts looking like jungles due to wild growth. The house surgeons say their complaints in this regard to the authorities, including the college principal, have fallen on deaf ears.

Over 50 dengue fever patients from the district, mostly from the eastern parts like Kothamangalam and Perumbavoor, have been admitted to the hospital. With mosquitoes on the rampage, supported by the swamps, stagnant water collected in several parts of the compound and wild growth, the students and staff say that they are scared.

“With more dengue patients coming from eastern parts, the situation is turning grim. Dengue being a contagious disease and with so many patients admitted and mosquitoes invading, the possibility of the students and staff catching the disease is very high. Already one house surgeon has contracted the disease and gone home. The rest are fearful as in their hostel environment it can fast spread,” said a medico on the campus.

He said that a total of 250 students are staying in the boys hostel alone while another 400 are staying in the girls hostel and nursing hostel together. The students said that various facilities at the hospital, including Intensive Care Units, have to be augmented to take care of the increasing number of dengue patients being admitted to the hospital. Principal Dr Aswini Kumar was unavailable for comments.