Chennai's RGGGH reduces the number of doctors posted on Covid-19 duty

Chennai's RGGGH reduces the number of doctors posted on Covid-19 duty

The RGGGH has handled the largest number of positive Covid-19 cases in the State, treating more than 30,000 patients since March, and has also processed more than 4.5 lakh swab samples so far. 

Published: 16th December 2020 05:13 PM 

Chennai corporation collecting swabs from migrant workers who are working at a construction site at OMR (File Photo | Ashwin Prasath, EPS)

By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) has reduced the number of doctors posted on Covid-19 duty due to the decrease in positive cases. 

RGGGH dean Dr E Theranirajan said a total of 243 doctors were posted for a cycle consisting of seven days, and now this has been reduced to less than 90 doctors per cycle. 

"One or two doctors are posted from each department. The cases have largely decreased and since we have begun non-Covid operations, many doctors have returned to routine services," he told The New Indian Express. 

The RGGGH has handled the largest number of positive Covid-19 cases in the State, treating more than 30,000 patients since March, and has also processed more than 4.5 lakh swab samples so far. 

Dr Theranirajan said that as on Wednesday, the Covid inpatients in the hospital are the lowest ever. "There are only 79 Covid positive patients now which is the lowest ever, while 150 patients are kept in observation as suspect cases," he said. 

More than 80 percent of beds too are vacant in the hospital presently with just 229 beds occupied out of the 1668 beds available. 

The inpatient count too has reduced largely in the hospital. "From about 200 inpatients daily during the peak stages, now only about 30 inpatients are coming. Among them, only about 15 are positive cases," added Dr Theranirajan. 

From deaths being in double digits during the Covid peak period, presently, the deaths at the RGGGH are at zero every alternative day, said doctors. 

"Deaths from the RGGGH has remained in zero mostly but still, some private healthcare facilities are transferring patients in the last minute. So, one or two deaths happen on alternate days," said Dr Theranirajan. 

He spoke of a case where a private hospital had kept a patient for more than 40 days and shifted him to the GH at the last minute when his condition became critical. "His condition remains critical but we are giving him the best treatment," the dean said.