Amritsar govt hospitals ill-equipped to handle rising dengue cases

AMRITSAR As the suspected dengue cases continue to rise in the district, the two government hospitals of the city remain illequipped to treat the patients suffering from the vector-borne disease.

As per the district health department, 164 suspected dengue cases have been detected in the district, out of which, 60 have been tested positive. Besides this, three people of Ajnala, here in the district, have died of the suspected dengue in last four days. Despite it , the Amritsar Civil Hospital and Guru Nanak Dev Hospital (GNDH) of Amritsar Medical College lack arrangements to treat dengue patients.

Apheresis machines (blood components separating machines) are lying non-operational in both hospitals from last one year. The machine, however, is essential for dengue patients when they need immediate transfer of platelets.

Besides these machines, the hospitals also do not have sufficient number of apheresis medical kits with them. Reportedly, GNDH is not getting the kits from the health department since last many years while the civil hospital has only 8-10 medical kits with them. The cost of the kit is ₹7,000 in government hospitals, while private hospitals charges ₹15,000 for the same.

The civil hospital also lacks ventilator and cardiac machines. Besides, both hospitals also do not have single-donor platelet concentrates (SDPC) blood components required for treating dengue patients. They only have only Random-donor platelet concentrates (RDPC).

In the absence of facilities, no patient is undergoing dengue treatment in the civil hospital at present, while 8-10 patients are admitted in the GNDH. The patients at GNDH, however, complained of lack of facilities with the hospital.

“My son Jagtar Singh (35) was diagnosed for dengue and has been admitted in GNDH for the past four days. We have to get the tests conducted daily from private labs, which costs ₹1,000. We had to buy SDPC from private hospital, which cost ₹12,000,” said Amarpreet, mother of the patient.

AUTHORITIES’ SAY

When asked about the insufficient equipments, Amritsar civil surgeon Dr Hardeep Singh Ghai, said, “We will soon get the apheresis machines repaired. The kits are bit expensive so people avoid it. For availability of medicines and other facilities, I will check the arrangements as soon as possible.”