Heart, dialysis patients worst-hit by rising infections in Kerala's non-COVID units
Aleena*, a 36-year-old from Thiruvananthapuram, had to go to a new diabetologist as suggested by her psychologist. She rang up a private hospital in the city for an appointment. She was told that no new appointments were being made due to the ongoing pandemic. Her mother has also been diabetic for many years. “Recently, she has been developing some other health issues too, some of which need urgent health care. Some must have an impact on my mental health too,” Aleena told TNM. But the family has decided not to go to hospital until the COVID-19 situation is over.
Renu* in Kollam has postponed her annual follow-up to check for uterine fibroids. The 38-year-old was diagnosed with fibroids three years ago.
With the number of COVID-19 cases rising among health professionals— including those who work in non-COVID-19 hospitals — the impact of the pandemic on non-coronavirus patients has been debilitating.
While some have been postponing treatment in hopes that the situation will alleviate, there is lingering uncertainty for patients on long-term, ongoing treatment like dialysis or heart-related ailments.
In recent days, as many as 30 healthcare workers at the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital in Kannur have contracted COVID-19. All of them had been on duty in the non-coronavirus segment of the hospital where not one health worker in the COVID-19 ward has so far tested positive for the disease.
Disease transmission in non-COVID-19 departments of hospitals inevitably leads to closing down of units. This has happened both in government and private hospitals, where even contacts of non-COVID-19 patients quarantine themselves. This ultimately makes the condition of the non-COVID-19 patients even more vulnerable.
“In the general wards of government hospitals, patients and their bystanders not strictly following safety guidelines also causes transmission of the disease,” reads a post by Dr Sunil PK, a former office-bearer of the Kerala Government Medical Officers Association.
The result of this, the post further reads, is that people would flock to the hospital which they feel is safe. Even those who are not financially sound would go to private hospitals.
Neena, a 27-year-old woman in Thiruvananthapuram, who recently contracted dengue had to opt for a private hospital; she was referred to the city’s Government Medical College Hospital by the government hospital in Peroorkada as her platelet count was precariously low.
“It was after we went to two hospitals that I got admission in a third one. I was turned down by the first two hospitals as my temperature was high,” she told TNM.
“Doctors and hospitals take extra care now. Private hospitals don’t want a COVID-19 case being reported in their hospitals as it would cost them a lot. The doctors who earlier used to take an average of 20 minutes per patient now take only five minutes as longer contact implies high risk,” Dr Abraham Varghese, state president of the Indian Medical Association, told TNM.
“I had to go to a doctor for severe shoulder pain. The doctor didn’t even look at me, the examination was done in three minutes. He didn’t even tell me what caused the pain,” Rekha, a professional based in Varkala, told TNM.
Recently, a gynaecologist in a government taluk hospital in the state got infected with the novel coronavirus. At one government general hospital, three pregnant women got infected.
“Now a situation has arisen in which free treatment for several diseases can’t be continued anymore. It's as important as equipping private hospitals for COVID-19 treatment to provide treatment for poor patients who need long-term treatment at private hospitals,” Dr Sunil said.
IMA demands segregation
Overall, there are 28 government hospitals which have been pressed into COVID-19 service. Earlier, very few private hospitals used to admit COVID-19 patients, the number of which has been increasing over the months.
Dr Abraham Varghese added, “The phase wherein the government and private hospitals were shut down to be transformed into COVID-19 care centres is almost over. The infection among non-COVID-19 units makes the (situation) grim. Hence, there should be segregation. The Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram has both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 treatment. Hospitals should be segregated as COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 hospitals. In hospitals having multiple blocks with separate entrances and exits, one or two blocks can be allotted for COVID-19 treatment.”