Hyderabad: Gandhi Hospital is the only major facility for COVID treatment in Telangana that has 3.52 crore population spread over in 33 districts. The hospital is crying for attention from the authorities.
The State’s intervention to contain the corona virus epidemic came under the scanner when a doctor from Gandhi Hospital alleged that the government is underreporting COVID cases. The doctor’s version has been supported by other medical and non-medical staff.
It has been revealed that the government’s figures are 40 percent less than the actual number of deaths.
The doctors from the hospital urge for basic facilities. The hospital is recorded to have 450 doctors out of which 110 have attracted COVID-19 effects. At the same time, the parameter medical staff is 60 percent less than the required number.
Dr Zainab, a Frontline warrior from Gandhi Hospital said, “We are working for almost twelve hours at a stretch without any relaxation. Sometimes the condition is such that we do not even get time to change our PPE kits. The hospital is in the desperate need of more doctors and staff.”
Health reforming doctors association, Dr Mahesh said, “The ratio of the doctor and patient is 2:10 which itself is a huge challenge. Even worse is that almost 110 doctors out of 450 frontline COVID doctors have become COVID victims themselves.”
Not just the doctors but also the families of the COVID patients are seen in terrible condition. Meena, whose mother is a COVID patient, in the hospital is sitting outside the hospital for almost three weeks. She alleges that whenever she asks or enquires about the condition of her mother the nursing staff tell her that they do not have any information about her or ask her to leave.
Another person who has narrated his woes is Mohsin. His mother is a COVID patient and undergoing treatment at Gandhi. He said, “In spite of constant pleas to meet my mother the hospital staff does not me. The sadder part is that they are not giving any information about her condition.”
“The patients would die out of stress more than that of corona,” added Mohsin.
Khalida Parveen, a philanthropist who has been continuously providing assistance to the patients and their families said, “For the past ten days cases of missing dead bodies have been constantly reported. The management at Gandhi Hospital is unsympathetic to the concerns of the close relatives of the patients. Yes, the doctors are facing difficulties as the government is not looking into their problems. Therefore, neither the patients nor the medical staff is happy with the way Gandhi Hospital is functioning.”