Yunus Y. Lasania
Hyderabad: Over 220 doctors and medical health professionals at Osmania General Hospital (OGH) have been infected with Coronavirus (Covid-19) so far. Many of the infected persons are junior doctors, post-graduates and interns from Osmania Medical College (OMC), who are working in different departments. A few junior doctors from OGH also alleged that some of the infected faculty members visited their departments in spite of them being infected with virus.
The list of 221 total infected persons includes doctors, senior residents, post-graduate students (from OMC, who work at different government hospitals) interns and house-keeping staff who are currently working at OGH. Out of the total, 55 alone are medical interns, said a junior doctor currently working at OGH.
“All of the medical students who tested positive are from Osmania Medical College. The result of this is that their families and friends have also been infected in some cases. So far, about half of the people who have been infected with Covid-19 have recovered and are even back to work,” said the junior doctor from OGH, who did not want to be identified.
Moreover, he shockingly claimed that things are so lax in OGH that of the HoDs (head of department) from OGH, who tested positive for Covid-19, is still visiting his department and sitting in office. In fact, the superintendent of OGH Dr. B. Nagender, had also tested positive for Covid-19 about a month ago. He was admitted at the Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences. Having recovered from the infection he is now back to work.
When contacted, Dr. Nagender confirmed that 221 medical health professionals working at OGH have tested positive for Covid-19 so far. He added that depending on symptoms and the situation of each person, different treatment is administered.
Infrastructure issues continue to plague
Moreover, junior doctors at OGH have also been complaining of lack of oxygen cylinders. Incidentally, OGH is one of the government major healthcare centres in Hyderabad.
When rain water flooded some of the wards in Hospital’s old building last month, it seemed as if that was the main issue the hospital was facing. In fact, shutting down the old building has even led to Operation Theatres (OT) currently not functioning. Patients and other wards have since been shifted to the Quli Qutb Shah block (in the premises), where rain water has been leaking from the fourth floor’s roof.
Dr. Nagender said that issues faced by the hospital will be sorted in the coming days. “Is it possible to accommodate everyone immediately? Everything we cannot shift immediately. We shifted from a bigger house to a smaller one. Construction in the fourth floor (of the Quli Qutb Shah block) had not been completed as there were no workers. Meanwhile, it rained; so the roof began leaking,” he told siasat.com.
The writer is a Hyderabad-based journalist who has worked with The New Indian Express, The Hindu and Mint in the past.