SMS Covid centre resumes operations as general hospital

JAIPUR: The SMS Hospital, which was the main Covid-19 treatment centre in Rajasthan since early March, began treating and admitting non-Covid patients with precautions from Monday.
It is the state's first major step after easing lockdown in bringing healthcare facilities back on track. All Covid-19 patients in SMS Hospital have been shifted to the RUHS Hospital in the city.
Healthcare workers were seen screening patients with thermal scanning before registering them for treatment on Monday. Those who needed surgeries were admitted in a separate ward. They will be operated upon only after their Covid-19 tests are negative.
When 38-year-old Om Prakash Tailor, a resident of Kalyanpura of Mansarovar area, came to know about the SMS Hospital starting treatment for general patients like earlier, he rushed to the hospital in the morning. The healthcare staff positioned at the registration counter checked his temperature with thermal scanner before allowing him to get registered. "We are checking here to identify patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) or having fever. Those who have ILI symptoms, have to go to Charak Bhawan," said a healthcare official at the hospital's entrance.
After passing through the thermal scan, Tailor got the registration slip and he went to the out-patient department of general surgery. Tailor told the doctors that he had developed gallbladder cancer for which his surgery was conducted in February at the hospital. "He had received first chemotherapy at the hospital. The second was scheduled for April. But, due to lockdown, he could not receive it. We came here for the chemotherapy," said Mukesh Tailor, Om Prakash's brother, who accompanied him, adding that they are taking all the precautions.
Doctors informed the Tailor duo that the patient will have to undergo Covid-19 test before getting chemotherapy. His sample has been taken and they have to wait for the result.
Kalulal, 58, a farmer, hired an ambulance to reach the hospital from Jhalawar. "The doctors had performed a surgery and created an opening of intestine on the stomach (colostomy) earlier. I had a liver problem for which the surgery was performed. Now, I need another surgery. I was waiting for the lockdown to open and for SMS Hospital to return to normal functioning," Kalulal said.
Besides, Anita Devi, who has a tumour in her stomach, was also waiting for the hospital to function normally. The doctors said that they have admitted her to perform biopsy to ascertain if she has cancer.
"We have admitted only those patients which are semi-emergency cases. We are taking up emergency cases regularly, but with precautions," said Dr Jeewan Kankaria, professor (general surgery) SMS hospital.
SMS Hospital is taking all precautionary measures after it turned into a non-Covid-19 hospital. "Our OPDs have started functioning normally. We have registered 2,120 patients at the OPD and admitted 137 patients," said Dr Rajesh Sharma, medical superintendent, SMS hospital.
Besides, ILI cases are still pouring in at the hospital as it registered 301 such patients and admitted 18 of them.