Cop in Pune's Naidu hospital points to flaws in its Covid-19 care

Mihir Tanksale | TNN | Updated: Apr 30, 2020, 10:58 IST

A sparsely embellished ward

PUNE: Inside the quarantine facility at the PMC-run Naidu Hospital For Infectious Diseases, patients wear the same mask and the same set of clothes for 10 days. Many share the same bathroom and toilet too. It is a cause for worry.
“For the past 10 days, I have been using a single bathroom and toilet along with 17 other Covid-19 positive patients. Some have been using the same masks and clothes,” a Covid-19 positive police constable undergoing treatment at Naidu Hospital said on Wednesday.
The constable, in a telephonic conversation, told TOI that he thinks he was infected while he was on duty taking action against people on the road during the lockdown.
Fear also runs high among those kept in quarantine here. On Tuesday night, a police constable had breathing difficulty. His wife, who is also Covid-19 positive, began crying.
“We called the nurses for help. They came after an hour and gave him saline. We had to wait near him throughout the night to monitor the saline drip and his condition,” his colleague said, adding that while they realise that the medical staff must wear a PPE before entering the ward, the patient must get quick help.
He said some police inspector or constable from the special branch inquires about their health. “No senior officer is bothered about what we are going through. The top brass should make separate arrangements in the hospital for police personnel,” he added.
He was given tablets for the first five days after admission to the facility and the doctors visit once a day, he said.
“For the past five days, my temperature and blood pressure are being monitored. We get get poha or upma for breakfast and two chapatis, some vegetable and dal rice for lunch and dinner in packets. While we do not expect elaborate meals, what we get is not sufficient,” he added.
He also raised concerns about hygiene in the ward. “There are 10 patients in the ward from different parts of the city, and another seven are in the next ward. All of us use one bathroom and one toilet. We cannot maintain social distancing. We brought our clothes, masks and soaps or we too would be in the same pathetic state like the others,” he said.
The top brass have declared monetary help for the policemen who tested positive for Covid-19. “Instead, they should provide separate treatment facility for us. What will we do with the money if we do not survive?” he said.
The constable said after his treatment and the quarantine period he can go home, but there are chances of his other colleagues suffering which the senior policemen should prevent.