Unlit toilets, lack of water at Victoria’s Covid-19 wing

Sunitha.Rao@timesgroup.com

Bengaluru:16.06.2020

No lights in some toilets, hours-long wait for food, lack of drinking water and none to address their woes. These are complaints of Covid-19 patients with zero or mild symptoms who have been shifted from Trauma Care Centre (TCC), the designated hospital, to Victoria Hospital.

The patients were shifted to the Master Plan Building, which is under Victoria Hospital’s administrative control, after the 150-bed TCC reported 100% occupancy following a spike in cases in Bengaluru over the past two weeks. On June 15 morning, there were 142 patients in TCC and 153 in the Master Plan Building. Both TCC and Victoria Hospital come under Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI).

Patients do not want to be shifted because the new building lacks facilities, doctors working at the two facilities said. Speaking to TOI, BMCRI admitted to a few problems and said they have since been rectified.

“On Sunday, we got lunch around 3.30pm and the quantity wasn’t enough. We are given oily stuff from a hotel — not healthy and does not have nutritious value. Only 250ml water is sent with each meal though we are told to drink more water. There is no water filter anywhere here,” a patient was quoted as telling a doctor.

Huge delays in serving food, say patients

The shifted patients have contacted doctors to air their views.

“After I kept on asking for more water, I was given a twolitre water bottle and asked to share it with others. We are branded Covid-19 patients and, hence, isolated here. Is it right to share a water bottle,” another patient asked.

A Mumbai returnee carrying a steel kettle has been providing it to fellow patients to access hot water. “We have no issues with the treatment here and we are recovering. Our basic requirement is food. We need quality food,” said one of the patients.

“I was earlier at the Trauma Care Centre and was shifted to this building seven days ago. Some of the toilets on the second floor have no lights, plumbing work is still pending and cleanliness missing. Food gets delayed here, where as it would come at the right time at TCC. If we want to complain, nobody answers our calls,” said a patient, who tested negative and was getting ready for discharge after ten days in hospital.

BMCRI said all problems at MPB have been resolved. Dr Smitha Segu, nodal officer, Covid-19 core committee, BMCRI, said there was delay in food delivery on Sunday as a vehicle of one of the suppliers had a flat tyre. “When the lunch was delayed, snacks were supplied. Every morning, each patient gets half-a-litre bottled water and two litres again with lunch. We sent an electrician in PPE to fix the lights in toilets where there was a problem. Our telephone numbers are displayed in the hospital and patients do reach out to us. There is a grievance cell too,” she said.

‘PPE IS OF BEST QUALITY’

Medical education minister K Sudhakar rubbished allegations made by some nurses that the quality of PPE being used was poor. Sudhakar visited Victoria Hospital on Monday and after a detailed meeting with doctors, the minister said, “The best quality PPE have been procured. Those who reportedly said PPE were of low quality are nowhere to be seen when I came to check facts.”