With two deaths in its COVID-19 ward on Wednesday sparking outrage, the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram, has decided to step up the monitoring of patients admitted to the ward.
Patients under observation would be shifted to a ward which would be under the watchful eyes of the hospital security staff, the hospital authorities said.
Following the death of two male patients, aged 33 and 38 — both suspected suicides — Health Minister K.K. Shylaja issued strict instructions to the hospital authorities on Thursday to streamline the monitoring mechanism.
More attention
The new measures will enable hospital staff to pay more attention to patients who exhibit signs of emotional distress and alcohol addiction. Patients in this ward will be under round-the-clock surveillance of security officers.
The decision was taken following a review of COVID-19-related measures, hospital superintendent M.S. Sharmad said.
As a further measure, the services of mental health experts will be available round the clock to patients in the COVID ward.
They will examine the patient and provide counselling.
If needed, follow-up counselling would also be provided, Dr. Sharmad said.
Hospital staff attached to the COVID ward would be provided psychological first-aid training by the Psychiatry Department of the hospital. The services of the Police Department would be enlisted for improving security, the superintendent said.
Bodies cremated
The bodies of the two male patients who died at the MCH on Wednesday were cremated at Nedumangad on Thursday.
A 33-year-old man from Anad was found hanging in the isolation room around 11.30 a.m. The second patient, a 38-year-old man from Nedumangad, died in the evening.
The cremation was held at the Santhitheeram crematorium.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan termed the deaths “unfortunate,” but ruled out the possibility of lapses.
One of the patients was scheduled for discharge and he was also aware of it, the Chief Minister said.
“It is unfortunate. You cannot say it was caused by inattentiveness. What we can do is try and prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” he said.
The District Congress Committee took out a march to the residence of the Health Minister alleging lapses on the part of the Government.
V.S. Sivakumar, MLA, demanded a comprehensive investigation into the deaths. The deaths had proven that the measures adopted by the government to fight COVID-19 had failed, he said in a statement.
The Youth Congress and Yuva Morcha activists took out protest marches to the Secretariat.
The activists also clashed with the police.
