Dip in H1N1 cases makes hospitals favour diversion of beds from swine flu rooms to patients with other ailments
Dip in H1N1 cases makes hospitals favour diversion of beds from swine flu rooms to patients with other ailments
VACANT beds and empty wards greet most administrators in city hospitals when they visit swine flu isolation rooms. Realising they are wasting infrastructure over dipping H1N1 cases, public and private hospitals want to either shut down isolation wards or use beds reserved for H1N1 patients to accommodate other patients.
Ruby Hall Clinic has reduced the number of beds in the isolation ward from 10 to three. "There aren't so many swine flu patients," said Bomi Bhote, CEO, Ruby Hall. "Initially, it was a wise decision to reserve so many beds. But to let these beds go empty for lack of H1N1 patients while we turn away people with other diseases is unthinkable."
Summer ailments
At Jehangir Hospital, where the rising number of summer ailments such as gastroenteritis is an issue, patients have to face a paucity of beds even as a whole ward is reserved for H1N1 patients.
"We have just taken up this issue with our management. For a long time these beds have not been occupied. Not considering the financial loss, even the loss of facilities to patients is unnecessary," said medical superintendent Dr Prasad Mogrikar, Jehangir Hospital, "We are considering reducing the number of beds."
At public hospitals like Sassoon and Aundh as well, the situation is similar.
"We have an annexe that the state government had proposed we reserve for H1N1 patients in case there is a second wave of the epidemic," said civil surgeon Dr M C Nagare, in-charge of the Aundh hospital. "But since the cases have dipped drastically and there are no indications of a second wave, we have asked state authorities permission to shift our many tuberculosis patients there."
Flu surge in rains?
At Sassoon hospital, of the three wards isolated for H1N1 patients, only one ward is currently occupied by H1N1 patients.
"Summer is a time when H1N1cases will be very low. That's because the atmosphere isn't conducive for the virus to thrive, but once monsoon arrives and the temperature drops, hospitals should be prepared for a surge in cases," said Dr P S Pawar, medical superintendent, Sassoon.
Officials of the state health department said they had no clue of the fact that there has been a reduction in number of beds in isolation wards for swine flu patients in hospitals.
"We have not been told anything by anyone," said Dr C A Kante, assistant director of state health services.
Dipping H1N1 cases
People tested positive in -
December 2009: 520
January: 366
February: 271
March: 188
April: 94
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