Mumbai’s non-covid patients suffer as docs still kept on Covid duty
MUMBAI: While there has been a gradual fall in the number of Covid-19 patients at civic-run tertiary hospitals, the footfall of non-covid patients has increased by almost 80%.
However, a large number of resident doctors continue to be stationed at Covid-19 jumbo centres and Seven Hills Hospital, where almost 90% of the beds are vacant. Medical students say this is leading to a severe shortage of doctors at major civic-run hospitals and affecting the quality of treatment.
At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, hundreds of resident doctors King Edward Memorial (KEM), BYL Nair, Dr RN Cooper and Lokmanya Tilak General hospitals were deputed at Covid-19 jumbo centres and Seven Hills Hospital. During the early months of the pandemic, the footfall of non-covid-19 patients reduced to almost 10%.
Consequently, the distribution of manpower didn’t pose any problems.
However, 10 months down the line and with the state announcing measures to gradually lessen restrictions on public movement, major hospitals have started receiving a large number of non-covid patients. As a
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Friday extended till February 28, 2021 the coronavirus-induced lockdown restrictions in the state.
“The state is threatened with the spread of COVID-19 virus and the government feels the need to take emergency measures,” a circular
result, resident doctors are working extra-long hours, leading to exhaustion.
“With relaxation in the lockdown, we are getting many serious patients who couldn’t reach hospitals earlier. They need more attention. But due to shortage of staff, we aren’t able to provide timely treatment,” said Dr Arun Ghule, president of KEM Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
Parel-based KEM Hospital, the biggest civic-run hospital, presently gets around 4,000 patients in its out-patient department (OPD) daily. Under instructions issued by the state government said.
The government’s guidelines to operationalise ‘Mission Begin Again’ for easing of restrictions and phasewise opening will remain in force till February 28, it said.
Till Thursday night, there were 2,018,413 cases of the coronavirus disease in the state, where 50,944 people have succumbed to the infection.
of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the hospital has stationed almost 50 of its resident doctors at Nesco Covid Jumbo centre, in Goregaon, and Seven Hills Hospital, in Marol.
Similarly, Sion Hospital, which received around 1,500 OPD patients daily before March, has stationed almost 100 of its resident doctors at various jumbo centres.
Resident doctors said they are no longer required at the Covid-19 centres since the number of patients has come down significantly in recent months. They also said their medical practice and education is being affected.
“Now, the number of patients to outside hospitals has reduced to a locally- manageable level, and the workload at KEM Hospital has increased to more than the pre-pandemic situation. Due to this, we aren’t able to perform our basic educational activities which is the main purpose of our PG course,” reads the letter sent by MARD KEM on Thursday to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
Sion Hospital has also approached its management to address the same issue.
“There has been an almost 80% rise in the footfall of noncovid patients. We are working 14-24 hours daily for their treatment. Earlier, if we could attend to a patient within an hour, it now takes us almost two hours due to the manpower crunch,” said a member of MARD, Sion Hospital.
When asked about the students stationed at Covid-19 centres, additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani said, “All the students are made to work for around 15-30 days. Also, they should also gain experience of treating Covid-19 patients. It will help them to gain first-hand experience as a doctor.”