Hospitals overwhelmed by patients; staff exhausted
Dengue is on the rise with hospitals being forced to accommodate more patients than they can manage, officials say.
According to the Epidemiology Unit the total number of cases reported islandwide is 63,987. The highest,14,189 cases are from the Colombo District.
The Dengue Control Unit's Consultant Community Physician Dr. Prechila Samaraweera told the Sunday Times that the number of deaths stood at 200.
On Friday, patients were were seen at the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) two days after the gates were shut, creating controversy.
Authorities say they were forced to temporarily suspend admissions on
but started admitting a limited number, a day after.
Padma Nawagamuwa, 59, a resident from Malabe speaking to the Sunday Times said she could not get herself admitted initially even after she was diagnosed with dengue.
“I was asked to come to the hospital two days ago to seek treatment but I could only do so today (Friday)," she said.
Lalani Ekanayaka, from Wattala who had admitted her 21-year-old son Dilipa Sandaruwan, on Wednesday said the hospital was overflowing with patients.
“There are two to three patients on a bed sometimes and many on the floor," she said.
Navin Danajaya, 23, a resident from Galewala speaking to the Sunday Times said he was admitted on Monday and that there was clearly no room in the hospital."
Consultant Physician Dr. Ananda Wijewickrama said the number of dengue patients admitted had soared and that it was the same in most hospitals.
Commenting on the closure of the gates of the IDH Dr. Wijewickrama said they were forced to do so as they could not admit anymore patients for treatment.
“We could not accept anymore admissions because that would have even risked the lifves of patients. The hospital had surpassed its maximum capacity, of beds, staff, hospital space, everything was utilised to the maximum," he said.
Senior Consultant Paediatrician and Dengue Specialist Dr. Lak Kumar Fernando attached to the Negombo Hospital said the resources had been stretched to a maximum there too with the number of dengue patients soaring.
He said that there were 161 patients in the paediatric unit that had only 60 beds. There were two patients on each bed and some on the floor too. In the adult male ward there were 60 beds for 220 patients, and in the female ward 60 beds for 210 patients.
“There are more than 450 dengue patients in the Negombo hospital. The space problem is the biggest issue we are faced with and also the staff distribution is insufficient compared to the number of patients admitted. The staff is exhausted," he said.
Dr. Fernando said the lack of space due to so many dengue patients had affected patients who are suffering from other diseases. He said at times the staff found it difficult to monitor every individual patient.