The rising coronavirus cases in Mumbai have put the civic run hospital’s healthcare workers under pressure as they have been over-burdened since the last three months. Taking the attention of the extreme condition the doctors, paramedical staff and other healthcare workers have now written letters expressing their sufferings.
On Tuesday the resident doctors of KEM via Twitter wrote an open letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. In the series of tweets they drew the attention over critical issues that are affecting them. The tweet reads, "At KEM hospital we have severe shortage of class 4 workers & staff nurses. Doctors have been severely burdened by this and it’s affecting their morale."
In the another following tweets they attached video grabs of a COVID ward wherein 35 patients are being taken care of by one doctor without having any nurse or class four worker for their assistance. The resident doctors also claimed that though the matter was brought to the notice of higher authorities, but till date the matter was not addressed.
Interestingly, after the resident doctors took on twitter to express they apathy, Amey Ghole, corporation, treasure of Yuva Sena and close friend of Minister Aditya Thackeray, who is also in forefront handling such complaints ensured them the matter has been discussed and will be resolved soon on Twitter.
Meanwhile, similar kind of greviance raised by the paramedical staff of BMC run Krantijyoti Savitri Bai Phule hospital at Goregaon East. The Paramedical staff have made a written complaint dated June 1 to civic chief over shortage of staff strength in their hospital and claiming thatbdespite telling it to their Chief Medical Officer Doctor Avinash Sankhe no assistance was provided. A copy of the complaint letter is with the Free Press Journal's reporter.
One of the staff nurse who is also a complainant, do not wish to be named said," The suspected COVID-19 patients were kept along with general ward patients here. So by default everyone came in contact with COVID positive patients. The issue was raised before the CMO and he was told that doing duty in such high risk atmosphere is not possible. The coronavirus positive patients are staying in same general ward using same toilets and other facilities eventually increasing the exposure of coronavirus among non-covod patients taking treatment at the same time. "
Another nurse stated that they are ready to work for long hours but assigning them in multiple wards that include labour ward, general ward is not acceptable. As it is not just risking their life, but also non-covid patients life along with their family members. Meanwhile the complainants also pointed out that despite having shortage of staff the hospital CMO Dr. Sankhe has deployed 10 nurses to the other COVID care-- Punjabi Lane hospital, which is adding to their woes.
When contacted Dr. Sankhe asking about the grievances raised by his hospital paramedical staff, he replied that the claims are false and there is no issue of staff shortage. "We have only 23 patients and 28 nurses. Usually for six patients one nurse is assigned to take care of patients need. But here we have 28 nurses and 23 patients." When further asked are COVID positive patients kept along with non-covid patients in general ward he replied, "We are not admitting COVID positive patients but those who have other illnesses. When on these patients COVID testing is conducted they many a times turn positive. Therefore until they are shifted to other COVID hospitals we are keeping them here. We are also taking self- declaration from other patients during admission telling them patients whose swab results yet to come may be positive or negative, next to your bed. Despite telling them the situation, patients insist on getting admitted here and in that case we cannot deny them from treatment."
The doctor asserted that the paramedical staff do not want to wear the PPE suits for six hours as they feel heated. He questioned, " If 10 nurses can handle 80 COVID patients in Punjabi Lane COVID turned hospital so why 28 nurses of Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Hospital can handle 23 non-covid patients.
The staff nurses over Hospital's CMO claim said, "Handling only a COVID ward is easy. But we are here (Savitribai Hospital) handling patients who are suspected COVID patients, and are kept in general wards. Like for instance, if a nurse is assigned the duty of general ward, where the suspected covid-19 positive patients are also staying later we are asked to attend the labour ward. This is becoming problematic for us. We want the sent staff should be told to report here and everyone should be assigned duty in same wards to avoid risk."
BMC clarifies
News of the absence of nurses and wardboys in a department of KEM Hospital has spread on social media and some media outlets. Dr. Hemant Deshmukh, superintendent of KEM Hospital, said that the video was distorted as it was from a time of change of duty. Also, all the staff of KEM Hospital are working 24 hours a day in 3 shifts. He also informed that the patient service is running uninterruptedly in this hospital.
Disseminating or forwarding such videos that distort the facts about KEM Hospital, which is uninterrupted 24 hours a day, can have a negative impact not only on the doctors, nurses and their families in the hospital, but also on the morale of the patients and their relatives. Dr. Hemant Deshmukh, the superintendent of the hospital, has once again made a humble appeal to avoid this.
