Doctors, nurses seek full lockdown in Tamil Nadu

Doctors, nurses seek full lockdown in Tamil Nadu

There is no use in increasing the bed capacity when there isn’t adequate manpower, and resources like oxygen are depleting in the State, said the doctors.

Published: 07th May 2021 04:26 AM 

By Sinduja Jane

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Even as the fresh set of restriction kicked in on Thursday, healthcare professionals on Covid duty called for a total lockdown in the State as the health system is over stretched and they couldn’t manage with the available manpower.

There is no use in increasing the bed capacity when there isn’t adequate manpower, and resources like oxygen are depleting in the State, said the doctors. As a result, patients are not getting the care they need and there is a risk of more deaths, they added. Vaccination for those above 18 years is yet to begin, and in such a case, lockdown is the only solution.

“There are only two doctors for 200 patients in our hospital, and we won’t know even if one patient needs immediate care or dies suddenly. That is the reason we are allowing attenders now, so that when their loved ones fall sick they can alert us,” said a doctor on Covid duty at the Chengalpattu GH.

He added that though they prescribe medicines for the patients, the nurses are not getting time to administer it as they are burdened with so much paper work on admissions and discharges. “I have even seen a few patients dying before they could get the medicine. I am very disturbed.”

As oxygen beds are almost full in Chennai and the queues are getting longer daily, the hospitals are also falling short in extending help. Even severe cases, with saturation as low as 75, who were supposed to be managed at tertiary care hospitals, are being sent to the newly set-up healthcare centres.

‘Lockdown necessary to break virus spread’

Dr T Janakiraman, an anaesthesiologist on Covid duty at a private hospital in the city, said, “We need some breathing time. So, we need complete lockdown at least for seven days if not for a month, to break the chain. This gap is needed to rebuild our resources, such as oxygen and medicines. This is not going to prevent the impending crisis. But it will give us breathing time. We are really exhausted.”

“As vaccination for people above 18 years of age is yet to begin and there is no stock, lockdown is the only solution as of now,” he added. Dr S Perumal Pillai, president, Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors, said that their workload has increased four times compared to last year.

“As we have utilised all available space for Covid treatment, we don’t have space in hospitals as non-Covid cases are also coming in. We don’t have manpower as well. Not only ICU and oxygen beds, even normal beds are full,” he said. A staff nurse at a government hospital, echoed with the doctors and said there are only two nurses attending over 250 patients.

JEE (Main) postponed

Chennai: Due to the spike in Covid cases, the National Testing Agency (NTA) on Thursday decided to reschedule the JEE Main (May) 2021. The notification for the exam schedule was to be released this month. The May sessions exams were to be conducted from May 24-28. The JEE Main (April) session was already postponed. “Looking at the present situation of Covid and keeping students safety in mind, JEE (Main) May 2021 session has been postponed,” tweeted Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’