Hyderabad: Junior doctors of Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday boycotted all services for Covid-19 patients from 2 O’ clock onwards over government not yet starting non-Covid treatment facilities at the premier hospital.
They say government had promised to start general services too at the Gandhi Hospital but has not yet done so. Administrative authorities at Gandhi say they have forward to government the demand of junior doctors, which will decide on the matter.
There are presently only 306 Coronavirus patients undergoing treatment in Gandhi Hospital. Junior doctors say this means they hardly have any patients to care for. This affects their practise of bed-side skills.
Prior to Covid-19 pandemic, junior doctors had abundant practise as Gandhi has 1,500 beds and the out-patient department of the hospital treated about 1,000 patients per day. That is why they had demanded that non-Covid medical services too be introduced at Gandhi Hospital, so that they can practise better.
Junior doctors are worried that they will otherwise lose out on academic and practical skills in examining patients and identifying diseases. There are also no elective surgeries too and, as a result, they cannot learn skills of carrying out operations. Due to this, junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital have been demanding that services for non-Coronavirus patients also be started at Gandhi, so that they can get enough practise.
The hospital administration has a different take on the matter. They say it is very difficult to create a non-Covid-19 pathway at the hospital. Given the present infrastructure, there is no opportunity to create a separate pathway for general patients to come in, a senior doctor at the hospital pointed out.
Further, there are also reports that “second wave” of Coronavirus could start from mid-December onwards. The second wave has already commenced in Europe and United States of America. India, including Telangana, too needs to be prepared for such an eventuality.
Another senior doctor elaborated, "Junior doctors who are going to complete their academic year are finding that they have missed out on learning key skills as their services have been limited to caring for Covid-19 patients. There is discontent in the doctors that they haven’t been able to practise speciality skills. On the other hand, administration and government do not want to add the risk factor of treating general patients at the hospital, where the highest number of critical and advanced Coronavirus cases are received. Till the number of Covid-19 patients does not reduce to around 150, it will not be possible to entertain non-Covid patients. Till then, opening operation theatres for elective surgeries will involve higher risk," he maintained.
Senior doctors also say most patients will avoid Gandhi Hospital as they know it is a designated Coronavirus treatment centre. Incidentally, the road outside Gandhi Hospital has been christened as Covid-19 road. The barricades are there for 500 metres and fear among people is palpable. Gandhi Hospital gates are also been blocked. Only those suffering from the disease and ambulances are allowed inside, apart from the staff.
The biggest challenge is to let people know that it is normal to enter Gandhi Hospital. It will take a long time for that message to trickle into the public. Further, with talk about a second wave and the number of Coronavirus cases already increasing, general patients will come to Gandhi Hospital only as a last resort.
