Journalism of Courage
In a bid to reduce the chaos at Naidu Hospital,15 new centres all functioning out of civic hospitals for screening of swine flu have been set up across the city. The doctors at these centres will conduct the necessary examination and decide whether the case has to be referred to Naidu Hospital, said district collector Chandrakant Dalvi who issued the orders.
It was under the powers conferred by Section (2),Subsection (1) of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 that Dalvi issued the directive on Thursday to get these additional testing centres operational.
Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Zagade said Naidu Hospital had to screen 1,300 patients on August 4 and 1,100 patients on August 5 due to a panic reaction after the first casualty was reported from the city. The new centres started screening the patients on Thursday and only H1N1 suspect cases are being referred to Naidu Hospital,he said.
These centres will carry out the initial screening and the swab of the suspect will be collected only at Naidu Hospital and Aundh General Hospital. The general practitioners in the city are skilled and they carry out their job effectively. They should continue to conduct screening of the patients and refer only the suspects to the civic hospitals, he said,adding that citizens should trust the general practitioners.
Zagade said too much rush at any one hospital can also lead to cross-infection. The ambulance service of the PMC was also pressed into service on Thursday to take out patients at Naidu Hospital to the new testing centres.
PMC health officer Dr RR Pardeshi said the centres have been chosen in such a manner that it covers the geographic spread of the city. The screening centres are at PMC hospitals and they have become operational today.
Dalvi said he would initiate strict action against private practitioners who do not attend to patients and rush them to Naidu Hospital. The private practitioners should not cause additional panic. With these screening centres,they can now refer their patients to other places.
The screening will include checking for symptoms and basic examination,and also finding out if the person had any interaction with those who came from abroad. The doctors will be given all material and screening will be done before the patients are referred to Naidu Hospital, he said
