Critical patients at SCBMCH isolation ward wait for ICUs

CUTTACK: WITH no vacancy in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) at the designated Covid-19 hospitals in Cuttack, the district health administration is now facing an uphill task in providing healthcare to critical coronavirus positive patients under treatment at the Isolation Ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital(MCH).

Four days back, a 49-year-old male attendant of the MCH – who was found Covid-19 positive and admitted to the Isolation Ward – died after his condition deteriorated. He could not be shifted to ICU of any of the designated Covid hospitals.

Protesting the inordinate delay in shifting the critical patient to ICU, the irked employees of SCBMCH staged a demonstration and met Hospital Administrative Officer Kalpataru Behera. They had urged Behera to make necessary arrangements for shifting the staff to an ICU in Covid hospital.

Admitting to the delay, the officer said it was difficult to shift him as all the ICUs in Ashwini and Sadguru Covid Hospitals have remained occupied.

Almost every day, people have been creating ruckus at the Isolation Ward alleging death of their patients due to negligence in treatment or delay in shifting them to ICUs.

As on Sunday, the total number of patients undergoing treatment at SCB Isolation Ward stood at 350 of whom, 210 patents were infected with coronavirus.