Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Mar 10: The way a sick person who had arrived from Dubai, who was referred to the district Wenlock Hospital for coronavirus check, was handled and related developments have dropped broad hints to suggest that Wenlock Hospital is totally unprepared to stop this deadly infection from spreading.
A ten-bed isolation ward for keeping suspected coronavirus patients has been set aside in this hospital, but no steps appear to have been taken in this ward to stop the disease from spreading to others. Because of misunderstandings between medical officers, no proper indications are available to believe that that the preparations are enough. It is also said that the patient who was purported to have escaped from the hospital, in fact, was sent away by the hospital staff.
A youth from K C Nagar, Talapady, had arrived at the local airport on Sunday evening. As the doctors found him to be suffering from fever, a decision was taken to refer him to Wenlock Hospital. Arranging for an ambulance to take the youth to Wenlock Hospital proved to be tricky and time consuming. There was confusion about who should provide the ambulance, the airport, or the hospital. Finally the youth was brought to Wenlock Hospital but the head of the hospital was not fully prepared to tackle the situation. After senior officials of the department and superintendent of the hospital argued over the matter on how to deal with the patient, the complaint reached the deputy commissioner of Dakshina Kannada district.
The youth suffering from fever was taken aback and frustrated at these developments. By then, microbiologist and other staff from the office of the district surveillance officer arrived. When the youth said he would get admitted into a private hospital, the doctors asked him to give the same in writing. After the youth wrote out a letter and signed it, the doctors sent him away, it is learnt.
After the media began to report that the suspect has gone missing, the hospital superintendent called Pandeshwar police over phone to inform that the youth brought to the hospital with suspected coronavirus infection had escaped. Thereafter, the health department officials found out through the police personnel at Vittal that the man was at the residence of his in-laws at Rangaramajalu near Palike, Vittal, and succeeded in admitting him into Bantwal government hospital.
When Bantwal tahsildar Rashmi S R and taluk medical officer Deepa Prabhu, visited the spot and discussed with the youth, he refused to go to Wenlock Hospital and opted to go to a private hospital. After the officials said that under instructions from central government, arrangements have been made at the government hospital, the man agreed to get admitted into Bantwal government hospital. Deepa Prabhu said that samples of the youth have been sent for testing and report is expected in two days. Revenue and health department officials were present in good numbers at the residence of the said youth.
In the meanwhile, Mangaluru (north) MLA, Y Bharath Shetty, raised the topic of coronavirus scare in the assembly on Monday and wanted to know steps taken to create awareness among the people about this disease. He said that the gram panchayats have no information and people have been grappling with rumours and misinformation relating to this disease.