Bad times continue to haunt Osmania General Hospital, which made headlines last week following flooding of its in-patient block. It has now come to light that COVID-19 suspects and emergency patients in need of X-Ray diagnosis are forced to wait for their turn for an inordinately long time at the out-patient block as only one out of three X-Ray machines is functional.
No sanitation
In a day, around 200 patients need the diagnosis. Besides, owing to the rush, sanitation measures are not taken up after a COVID suspect with symptoms is diagnosed using the lone machine. That leaves a wide scope for the coronavirus to spread faster among non-COVID patients.
COVID suspects in critical condition, most of them experiencing shortness of breath, are admitted to Osmania General Hospital (OGH). Chest X-Ray is prescribed to them to know the condition of lungs. Besides them, some non-COVID patients in need of emergency medical attention are admitted to OGH.
It was learnt that apart from the suspects, all patients at OGH in need of emergency medical care have to undergo X-ray diagnosis. Abnormal lungs indicate that the patient might have COVID.
The diagnosis rooms are located on the ground floor of the OGH’s out-patient block. One X-Ray machine is placed in each of the three rooms in a narrow corridor.
Sources in the hospital said that out of the three X-Ray machines, two have been dysfunctional for the past several months.
Overcrowding
“As only one machine is working, the suspects and non-COVID patients along with their attendants are forced to wait for a long time in the corridors for their turn. Besides, since close to 200 people have to be diagnosed using one machine, there is hardly any time left for sanitising the room,” sources said.
Maintaining physical distance, too, becomes a challenge in such situations. Healthcare professionals working at the hospital said all these factors facilitate uninhibited spread of the virus. “We don’t know how many must have contracted the virus while waiting for their turn. This situation can be avoided if the other two machines are repaired. It will help clear out the crowd fast,” a source said.
Hospital authorities said that they are trying to resolve the issue. They are aware that there will be a huge crisis if the lone machine too stops functioning.
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