Surge in cases quicker than we were expecting, admits hospital doctor
A DOCTOR has admitted he has been surprised by the sharp rise in Covid-19 patients at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in recent days.
Dr Raja Biswas, a consultant physician at the Llantrisant-based hospital, said he was concerned by the volumes of unwell patients with the virus now coming through the doors.
On Monday, Health Minister Vaughan Gething confirmed that there were 34 Covid-positive patients at the Royal Glamorgan – mostly elderly and with co-morbidities – a figure he described as “particularly worrying”.
Cwm Taf University Health Board announced yesterday that it was taking action to reduce the number of cases, including the closure of some wards as some of the infections are hospital-acquired.
Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT), where the hospital is based, now has one of the highest cases of coronavirus per head of population anywhere in the UK.
A local lockdown was introduced for the county borough last week.
“Even at the beginning of last week we didn’t have too many cases at all. But to then get so many cases so quickly is a definite matter of concern,” said Dr Biswas, who contracted Covid-19 himself in May but has since recovered.
“As part of my management role I have been trying to get some clinical planning in place. We certainly weren’t expecting this degree of a second wave at this stage. We are almost at the point we were at in around April time.
“But the good thing is we are much more aware, better prepared and have much more knowledge of the virus than we did before which is always a positive thing.”
But Dr Biswas, a dad-of-one who lives in Cardiff, claimed that trying to staff the wards at the hospital remains an issue.
“The problem is that there are no more staff. It’s not a question of money,” he said. “At the moment people are starting to have colds, sniffles and a rise in temperature as the weather is changing.
“Obviously a lot of staff have to self-isolate with these symptoms until they get their results back.
“With the schools opening, and with children getting these symptoms, then you have to wait for your child to be swabbed and to be negative before you can be sure to come back to work.
“This is obviously a major factor in the reduction of the workforce.”
When the first wave came, Dr Biswas said the health board had to act as if it was an “emergency situation”.
“We had to transfer a lot of outpatient work because the estimations [of Covid infections] were so high,” he said. “But this time
around we can be more measured in our approach”
Dr Biswas admitted that the hospital has not been able to catch up on all its routine, non-Covid work due to the outbreak, leading to longer waiting lists.
“The waiting lists have to be prioritised for those in the most urgent need. Those kind of things have to be done first,” he said.
When it came to introducing a local lockdown for RCT and for Cwm Taf University Health Board as a whole, Dr Biswas said he hoped it would help to reduce hospital admissions.
He said: “At the end of the day, we as medics can only do so much. We cannot stop the infection rate from going down. That is not in our control. It’s only the general public who can do that.
“What I think is frustrating is that some people are seeing memes and posts on social media and have started thinking ‘this is not something I need to be worried about anymore’. Yes, you might not get it, but your elderly relative might get it and die.”
However, he said he did understand the frustrations of the public due to the mixed messages being given to them by government.
He added: “What is the point in saying to people that they should socially distance, and then have three days a week when you can get a half-price meal?
“Why are the pubs being kept open until 10pm? People will see that 10pm is approaching and quickly order more drinks. I understand that the hospitality industry and the economy are in a bad state, but if you want to really address it wouldn’t it be better to take a sharp measure [shutting pubs and bars] for a short period than saying it will last for six months?”
Despite the pressures facing the hospital, the experienced medic said he was confident the Welsh NHS would not be overwhelmed.
“I think we will manage because NHS staff are incredibly dedicated, motivated people. That’s the main reason this whole system works.
“But for staff [looking after Covid patients] they don’t know whether they will be the one lying in that hospital bed in the next 24 to 48 hours. That can be very scary and mentally very draining.”