Painting a contrast picture to the private hospitals that are turning down H1N1 virus patients due to dearth in isolation facilities, state-run St George’s hospital, located near Victoria Terminus station, stands idle with its six-bedded isolation facility vacant with not even a single H1N1 admission since the air-borne outbreak began on January 19 this year. The city is reeling under the viral infection with 42 new cases reported on Wednesday taking the total toll to 429. So far, 15 deaths have happened due to the disease, including one Andheri-based Mumbai resident. While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has 46 beds in Kasturba hospital reserved for these patients, 12 additional beds are available at tertiary-level civic hospitals and few at private hospitals. [related-post] St George’s isolation facility, located in the disaster ward on first floor of the hospital, is housed in a separate room where six beds have been reserved to treat infectious cases— in this case the flu patients that are being reported every day. “We have informed higher authorities about the facility. But neither has any hospital referred any patient nor have any patients visited us. Patients may not even know that such a facility exists in the hospital,” medical superintendent Dr J B Bhavani told the Newsline. According to him, the hospital has 10 ventilators and sufficient N-95 masks to treat severe cases and can procure required support system in case a patient is admitted. “We are also in the process of applying for approval to collect throat swab in the hospital itself so that patients are not forced to visit the diagnostic centers,” Bhavani said. According to experts, an isolation ward should ideally have separate cubicles with negative pressure, UV radiation facility to kill germs, safe distance between two beds and protection to staffers treating the patients. Several government run hospitals, however, do not follow all the protocol. In Kasturba hospital, no separate cubicle is created for each patient. According to doctors at St Georges, they can create safe distance between two beds, provide infection prevention support to nurses and can “immediately start handling” swine flu cases. Dr T P Lahane, dean of JJ group of hospitals, however said, “The hospital is equipped for isolation but not for swine flu treatment.” According to Dr Mangala Gomare, deputy executive health officer at BMC, no approvals are required for providing treatment facilities to H1N1 cases. “We are going to approach major private hospitals and all government hospitals for review on the bed availability for H1N1 with them,” she said. With the disease getting widespread, doctors admit several patients are getting treated on out-patient department (OPD) basis. In Jaslok hospital, currently 11 patients are on wait-list for hospitalisation and in Kohinoor hospital, physician Dr Shahid Barmare admitted that few patients are awaiting admission in the already full two-bedded isolation facility. He said, “Over 90 per cent cases can be treated on OPD basis. If patients are forced to undergo home treatment, they must make sure no senior citizen or children enter the patient’s room and a mask is worn by the patient and treating family members.” 35-yr-old Mumbra man succumbs, toll 15 The death of 35-year-old Mumbra resident in Kasturba hospital on Wednesday, due to H1N1 influenza virus, brought the death toll to 15 in Mumbai. Across the state, nine other deaths were reported bringing the count to 112. The Thane resident was admitted on Monday at the civic-run facility after testing positive for the disease. On Wednesday, the hospital reported that he died due to bilateral pneumonia with cardiac arrest. The virus worsened his medical conditions, and the civic body will now investigate the circumstances under which he died. Additionally, 42 new cases of swine flu were reported from various city hospitals. Dr Om Srivastava, infection specialist, said, “While there is a dearth in isolation facility, several patients fear the spread of infection and demand hospitalisation. Not all H1N1 patients need admission unless their medical parameters get severe.” tabassum.barnagarwala@expressindia.com
