5 pvt hosps closed after patients turn Covid-19 positive
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:18.04.2020
At least five private hospitals in Tamil Nadu have been closed down in the last 48 hours for handling fever patients, who later tested positive for Covid-19.
This includes Jawahar Hospital in Tambaram, Madhani Clinic in Vellore and others in Nagapattinam, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi. Earlier this week, a hospital in Coimbatore too was closed.
As far as Chennai city is concerned, no hospital has been closed but a couple of them had to deal with local authorities to keep functioning.
For instance, a middle-aged man from Poonamallee arrived at a nearby hospital with fever. He was screened at the entrance, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was provided while taking him to the isolation clinic room.
On suspicion, he was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) as per government guideline. But corporation officials wanted the entire hospital to be shut. “Even after explaining the protocol followed, officials did not budge,” said a doctor from the hospital.
Private doctors have opposed this move and want government to reopen these clinics after disinfecting them, instead of keeping them closed for a long period of time. A laboratory at a nursing home in Tambaram, closed three weeks ago, is yet to open.
Ravi Shankar, former state president of Indian Medical Association, said that if the government keeps on closing down private hospitals for evaluating suspected Covid-19 patients nine or ten days back, then it is not going to be of use to anyone. “Instead, they can screen all the employees, who worked in these hospitals, disinfect the entire premises and reopen the hospital in 48 hours so that other patients do not suffer,” he added.
Health department authorities said that they have instructed private clinics to screen all patients at the entrance itself and refer fever cases to the nearest government hospitals immediately.
Doctors said that not all neighbourhood clinics have enough staff strength to do such screenings at entrances. With many absenting from work due to travel restrictions and personal reasons, very few were available to assist doctors.
So these patients had to be diagnosed at clinic rooms only. In case these patients turn positive later, the hospitals can’t be faulted. Instead government can help in disinfecting the premises and allow operations to continue, said C Ashok, a general physician.
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:18.04.2020
At least five private hospitals in Tamil Nadu have been closed down in the last 48 hours for handling fever patients, who later tested positive for Covid-19.
This includes Jawahar Hospital in Tambaram, Madhani Clinic in Vellore and others in Nagapattinam, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi. Earlier this week, a hospital in Coimbatore too was closed.
As far as Chennai city is concerned, no hospital has been closed but a couple of them had to deal with local authorities to keep functioning.
For instance, a middle-aged man from Poonamallee arrived at a nearby hospital with fever. He was screened at the entrance, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was provided while taking him to the isolation clinic room.
On suspicion, he was referred to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) as per government guideline. But corporation officials wanted the entire hospital to be shut. “Even after explaining the protocol followed, officials did not budge,” said a doctor from the hospital.
Private doctors have opposed this move and want government to reopen these clinics after disinfecting them, instead of keeping them closed for a long period of time. A laboratory at a nursing home in Tambaram, closed three weeks ago, is yet to open.
Ravi Shankar, former state president of Indian Medical Association, said that if the government keeps on closing down private hospitals for evaluating suspected Covid-19 patients nine or ten days back, then it is not going to be of use to anyone. “Instead, they can screen all the employees, who worked in these hospitals, disinfect the entire premises and reopen the hospital in 48 hours so that other patients do not suffer,” he added.
Health department authorities said that they have instructed private clinics to screen all patients at the entrance itself and refer fever cases to the nearest government hospitals immediately.
Doctors said that not all neighbourhood clinics have enough staff strength to do such screenings at entrances. With many absenting from work due to travel restrictions and personal reasons, very few were available to assist doctors.
So these patients had to be diagnosed at clinic rooms only. In case these patients turn positive later, the hospitals can’t be faulted. Instead government can help in disinfecting the premises and allow operations to continue, said C Ashok, a general physician.
A private clinic in Konavattam being sealed on Thursday by authorities
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