Report 1 Death in SMHS, Say Several SKIMS Resident Doctors Tested Positive
SRINAGAR: A doctors body of SMHS Hospital on Monday expressed concern over the outbreak of swine flu and said the official apathy and carelessness of the authorities has resulted in a deep anguish among the doctors and paramedics working in the SMHS and associated hospitals.
In a statement issued today, Resident Doctors Association (RDA) said a meeting was held in SMHS today to discuss the ground situation of the disease in SMHS and associated hospitals.
A spokesman of the RDA claimed that some patients in SMHS have tested positive for H1N1 and a patient suffering from swine flu already died in SICU SMHS hospital last week.
A patient is already on treatment in the hospital but as now, neither the presence has been made public nor have any measures been taken to combat the disease. The reason behind keeping things under carpet is beyond comprehension as this is of immense danger to other patients, attendants and hospital staff, the spokesman said.
It has come to our notice that the resident and paramedic staff is being threatened of dire consequences if they reveal positivity of the confirmed cases. The irony is that the printed reports of the test done at the only available facility at SKIMS are not being provided to the people which puts the treating doctors as well as the attendants to immense difficulties and mental trauma as it increases the risk of spreading of the disease especially among the already vulnerable population admitted in the hospital and the hospital staff, he said.
When SKIMS authorities accept that they are treating Swine flu for last 5 months, what were the measures taken? No isolation chambers, negative pressure treatment wards have been created, Dr Adil, president of RDA asked.
The RDA spokesman said to add to the woes, SMHS authorities have decided to created Swine flu in CD hospital, where there are already open cases of unit tuberculosis and chronic lung disease patients (most vulnerable group for serious complications of swine flu) present in that hospital which puts an immense risk to both the groups. Everyone is confused; no one knows what to do, he said.
The secretary general of the RDA, Dr Aftab Akbar, said it is heart breaking and unfortunate that some fellow resident doctors of SKIMS have already tested positive for H1N1 and the onus of this lies on the callous and stubborn attitude of the authorities who kept on keeping things under carpet and now suddenly we are faced with the situation that the people meant for treating and combating this disease are falling a prey to it themselves which can result in breakdown of healthcare.
There are no masks (N95 which need to be changed after every eight hours), vaccinations, post exposure prophylaxis (oseltamivir) provided to the hospital staff. Telling the hospital staff to work like this is asking a soldier to go for war without a gun, he said, adding: This was the time where stake holders should have been torch bearers in combating the spread of this disease but unfortunately we are again caught between deep sea and devil.
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