Surging Covid cases hit Shimla hospitals hard

Tribune News Service

Subhash Rajta

Shimla, January 20

Sudden spurt in Covid cases over the last 10 days is threatening to disrupt services in Shimla hospitals. All three main government hospitals, namely Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital (DDUH), have seen a worryingly high number of staff catching the infection over the last one week or so.

Simultaneous infection

It’s the first time during the pandemic that so many staff have caught the infection simultaneously. — Dr Surinder Singh, IGMC Principal

IGMC worst hit

While over 50 doctors, 75 nurses and 40 class IV employees have tested positive at the IGMC over the last one week, the count at KNH and DDU stands at 25 and 37, respectively.

While over 50 doctors, 75 nurses and 40 class IV employees have tested positive at the IGMC over the last one week, the count at KNH and DDU stands at 25 and 37, respectively.

IGMC principal Dr Surinder Singh said that the hospital had managed to render smooth services so far to the patients. However, he feared the situation could become a little problematic if the virus continued to infect the staff at this rate.

“In that case, we will have to reassess and see what measures are required to be taken,” he said.

The silver lining, however, is that none of the healthcare workers in all three hospitals has shown severe symptoms and are hence not hospitalized. “Also, the infected staff is reporting back on duty after seven days, which was not the case in the earlier two waves. That’s making the situation a little better for us,” said Dr Singh.

Meanwhile the KNH, state hospital for mother and child, is struggling to cope with the situation. The hospital was already short on nursing staff and the absence of 16 staff nurses for at least a week has worsened the situation. “We have cut down routine surgeries, but we haven’t allowed emergency services to get affected,” said KNH MS Dr Ravinder Mokta.

At DDUH, eight doctors are among the 37 staff which tested positive over the last week or so. “At the moment the patient load is less in the hospital, so this spurt hasn’t affected our services,” said DDUH Dr Lokinder Sharma. “Nevertheless, people need to strictly follow Covid appropriate behavior,” he said.

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