Panic & chaos at testing centres

At Sahyadri,12 ICU beds,20 isolation wards and 32 additional beds have been reserved for swine flu cases. On Wednesday,there was a long line of patients outside after the announcement that it would be the first private hospital to treat H1N1 cases. Dr Rajesh Gadia,chief physician at the hospital,had to tell the patients to come back later as they had not got the stock of Tamiflu tablets yet.

Medical superintendent of Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital Asha Ralwani pointed out the difficulties in accommodating these patients owing to its central air conditioning system. “The team of experts yesterday checked our wards and we pointed out that we are not prepared.”

Ruby Hall Clinic’s managing trustee Dr P K Grant said screening for HINI patients can be started only in an open area. “Due to the central air conditioning system,we are not willing to start isolation wards inside. The virus may get introduced in the system and this can have a detrimental effect on other patients.”

The 550-bed hospital is fully occupied and hence the authorities have refused to start isolation wards here.

Dr V L Yemul,medical administrator of KEM Hospital that is not centrally air-conditioned,said they will try to create a separate ward on the fifth floor. “The ventilators will be finalised by tomorrow. A team of experts has visited the hospital and we are already examining primary cases.”

Dr Dilip Mane,managing director of Noble Hospital,said he is willing to vacate the 33-bed ICU to accommodate critical cases of swine flu,but not the other wings. “Since the hospital has central air conditioning,it will be difficult to quarantine the H1N1 patients. We will have to vacate the hospital and then accommodate the swine flu victims.”

A team from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) is now inspecting and identifying hospitals for treating swine flu patients.