City hospitals pad up to guard against infection
Kolkata: Personal protective equipment, or PPEs, the full-body uniform complete with gloves and mask that doctors and health workers wore during the pandemic to prevent infection spread, have made a return at some private hospitals that now have Covid patients admitted.
At least three hospitals have armed their health workers with the full protective gear and have appointed nurses who attend only to Covid patients. One of the hospitals has even decided to levy an extra charge for the protective gear. Even though the current strain has so far triggered mild infections, it could be dangerous for the elderly with comorbidities, and children, doctors said.
Peerless Hospital now has two Covid patients — a 15-year-old boy and a 72-year-old man— who are kept in separate single-bed rooms in an isolated area.
"Two nurses are attending to each, and they wear full PPE. They are not attending to other patients. Doctors, too, are wearing protective gear while attending to Covid patients, though, unlike the pandemic time, they are attending to other patients as well," said Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra.
Peerless Hospital had PPEs in stock, said Mitra, adding: "Since this involves extra cost, we have decided to charge Rs 200-Rs 250 a day for the gear.
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Trending in in 2025: Local network access control [Click Here]
Esseps
Learn More
Undo
The Covid-time price curbs don't apply now."
RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS), which has one Covid patient, has given PPEs to doctors and nurses attending to Covid patients. "We are using a version that has no face shield but a mask," said RTIICS intensivist Sauren Panja.
Manipal Hospitals, which have maintained adequate stockpiles of PPE and other essential safety supplies as part of a standard preparedness protocol, now has four Covid patients.
"Our healthcare workers are fully equipped to handle Covid cases, including the use of appropriate protective gear. We have also reinstated RT-PCR testing facilities across our hospitals. While testing was scaled down after the pandemic, our diagnostic teams have maintained the readiness to resume testing at short notice," said Tanmay Banerjee, senior consultant and director of critical care, Medica Superspeciality Hospital, a part of Manipal Hospitals.
Ruby General Hospital tested two Covid positives in the last week and admitted one. "Nurses attending to them wear a protective gown used during the pandemic. Doctors will wear masks but not PPEs unless numbers rise," said Ruby Hospital general manager - operations Subhashish Datta.
BP Poddar Hospital has an adequate inventory of N95 masks, gowns, gloves, face shields, and PPE kits. Healthcare workers at Desun Hospital have been provided protective gear to attend to Covid patients. "We maintain a robust stock of all essential protective equipment to ensure the safety of our patients," said Shaoli Dutta, group director, Desun Hospital.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Violations in drug sale rampant in Wanaparthy
Wanaparthy: Monthly drug sales in the district have crossed the Rs 10 crore mark but all is not well in the business. A large portion of this sale is allegedly illegally driven by unlicensed medical shops operating without proper permits and proper oversight. Of the 320 medical shops in the district, more than 100 running unofficially. Over half of these are operating without proper licence. Moreover, medical shops are required to issue receipts for any purchase but there are allegations that receipts are not being provided and prices charged are above MRP. Generic medicines are being sold at high prices as if they are branded. 'The Drugs and Cosmetics Act is not being properly enforced, indicating a lack of supervision from ground-level drug control officers,' said a local. 'Even kirana shops are selling tablets,' said Ramesh, resident of Pebbair. 'In emergencies, they are exploiting people by charging high prices. Officials must act against such practices,' he said. Some medical shop operators are reportedly bringing in doctors from Hyderabad, Kurnool and other areas without any authorisation, using their names to attract patients and sell medicines. To run a clinic or hospital, DMHO approval is required. However, many shop-owners in the district are ignoring these regulations and are running businesses illegally, earning large sums by violating norms. Companies are reportedly making deals with shop-owners and doctors, offering commissions between 25% and 40% for selling their products. As a result, doctors are allegedly prescribing these medicines to patients regardless of necessity, focusing more on meeting company-imposed sales targets than on patient care. 'Violation of rules will lead to action,' warned Drug Inspector Rashmika. 'Last year, we registered 15 cases in the district. Some shops selling banned drugs have already been seized and are under court jurisdiction. People must insist on taking a receipt when purchasing medicines from any medical shop. Everyone should be aware of this,' she underscored.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Death of man who tested positive for COVID-19 causes concern in Vizag
The death of a man, who tested positive for COVID-19, at a private hospital in Visakhapatnam has brought the focus back on the need to adopt COVID-appropriate behaviour, especially in crowded places. Padilam Kashinath, 64, hailing from the city, was admitted to a private hospital with complications of Parkinson's Disease, Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, Pneumonia and COVID-19 on May 28. The death report mentioned that the patient was suffering from the four diseases. The cause of death was, however, mentioned as 'viral pneumonia respiratory failure'. Kashinath died while undergoing treatment on Thursday morning. The news spread rapidly, though the doctors and the officials concerned were initially tight-lipped about the case. They refused to admit that the victim had COVID-19 as it was not confirmed by the Virology Lab at the King George Hospital (KGH). They said that the patient had co-morbid conditions. Attempts to contact the District Medical & Health Officer failed as he could not be reached over the phone. The first case of COVID-19 positive case of the city was a woman, and it was confirmed a week ago. Subsequently, her relative and the doctor who treated her contracted COVID-19. However, all three have recovered.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Rajanarasimha calls for legal action against those selling fake seeds
Mahabubnagar: In a strong message to protect farmers, District In-charge Minister Damodar Rajanarasimha has directed officials to take strict action against the sale of spurious seeds in Mahabubnagar and Narayanpet districts. During a high-level review meeting at the Collectorate on Friday, the Minister, along with district minister Jupally Krishna Rao, called for the immediate registration of cases and legal action against those selling fake seeds, warning that no negligence will be tolerated. The review focused on key issues like agricultural plans for the upcoming season, the availability of seeds and fertilizers, paddy procurement, Indiramma housing scheme, seasonal diseases, and progress under government initiatives. Highlighting the government's commitment to farmers, Jupally instructed Collectors to recover pending dues from rice millers, which include Rs 53 crore in Narayanpet district alone. He also reminded officials that the government is offering a bonus for paddy farmers—a first in the state—and said the credit must go to the present administration. Rajanarasimha also directed officials to speed up the construction of Indiramma houses and resolve land issues through the Bhu Bharati portal. He promised to bring the MLAs' request for Indiramma housing list approvals before Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. On the healthcare front, the Minister ordered early preparations for seasonal diseases like dengue and assured that Mahabubnagar Hospital will soon get an MRI machine, CT scan facilities, a Regional Cancer Centre, and an Organ Retrieval Centre. Fogging operations and public health campaigns will be intensified, particularly in vulnerable areas.
