Lack of support, facilities, demotivate PG doctors at CMCH in treating positive case

TNN | Updated: Apr 15, 2020, 12:05 IST

A Covid-19 ward at CMCH

COIMBATORE: A day after two postgraduate (PG) students of Coimbatore Medical College (CMC) tested positive for the novel coronavirus, other students on Tuesday said they were demotivated in treating Covid-19 patients because of lack of support and facilities from the college administration. They said the two doctors, who tested positive for the virus, were not being treated properly.
While the hostel premises are being fumigated, the 15-odd hostel mess staff have been on strike since Monday afternoon, demanding safety gears.
A student said, “They didn’t cook dinner on Monday, and breakfast and lunch on Tuesday. We are forced to place orders on Swiggy or manage with biscuits.”
Pointing out that they have all been assigned duty at the ESI Hospital for a period of five days, following which they have to remain in quarantine for 14 days, another student said, “While we have to stay at the hospital during the period, we are not provided with proper accommodation. According to people who were posted there, they couldn’t have proper bath after duty as there was no water at the ESI hostel. Some of them in the previous batch have had to come back to our hostel a couple of days to have bath after duty.”
Another student said there wasn’t enough space at the circuit house, which could accommodate only 14 people, for them to quarantine themselves after the five-day duty at the ESI hospital. “One has to remain in quarantine for 14 days. Since the circuit house was full, two people had to come back to the hostel itself. The college administration should have arranged accommodation for them.”
Their biggest complaint was the “shaming” and “shabby treatment” of their two colleagues who tested positive for the virus. “The two had worked for eight to 10 hours a day on outpatient (OP) duty and examined Tablighi Jamaat cases just as they were coming in from April 2 to 6. They were not given proper goggles initially and were asked to sanitize and use other doctors’ goggles. The only way they got infected was through aerosol droplets, which could attach to the mucosa of their eyes,” said another student. “And after wearing that suit for eight hours, which can give anyone a headache, they didn’t have water at the ESI hostel to have a bath.”
While one of them developed sore throat, fever and headache on the fourth day of his quarantine on Friday, the other one developed fever on Saturday. They decided to go directly to the ESI hospital on Sunday evening and give their nasal swab without a delay, a student said. “Medical superintendent of Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) Dr Sadagopan, however, called them irresponsible and shouted at them for getting tested. While awaiting results, they were made to stay in the corona ward of CMCH, which was “nasty”. It had no toilet facilities and the beds that were used by earlier patients were not properly cleaned.”
The students said the test results of the two should have arrived by Sunday night, but they were given to them only on Monday. “Our dean Dr B Ashokan did not bother calling them once to reassure them. Is this how the college treats the students who have put their lives at stake to treat Covid-19 patients,” asked another PG student. He said one of the two was an orthopedic surgery student but forced to handle a respiratory issue. “With what confidence should we now take up duty and risk our health?” he asked.