A. Chinna Durai, a retired orthopaedic surgeon belonging to the 1969-batch of Madurai Medical College, said it was only because of the treatment provided at Government Rajaji Hospital was he able to recover from COVID-19.
“I had a 70% lung infection and the doctors gave the best treatment for my complete recovery,” he said. He was addressing the media persons as part of an event during which the MMC’s 1969 alumni batch felicitated the doctors of GRH for their work in saving lives from COVID-19 infection.
C. Ramasubramanian, a renowned psychiatrist, another alumni of 1969 batch to get treated for COVID-19 at GRH, said the hospital had good infrastructure, experienced doctors, medical equipment, medicines and provided good food for the patients. “Recently, a mentally ill patient, who had tested positive for COVID-19, was provided a separate room for treatment at GRH,” he said. Counselling for COVID-19 patients was provided in the hospital right from the initial months of the outbreak of the pandemic, he said.
S. Narmadha, a general medicine practitioner from Tirunagar, and G. Gunaseelam, a doctor from Palani in Dindigul, shared their experiences of recovery from COVID-19 after treatment at GRH.
The COVID-19 infection was unique as the morbidity was higher and mortality highly unpredictable, said R. Raveendran, another alumni. “Despite all these challenges, the doctors of GRH performed well to save many lives,” he added.
Dean J. Sangumani; K. Senthil, Treatment coordinator for the COVID-19 wing of GRH; M. Natarajan, Head of the Department of Medicine; K. Barathi Babu, Assistant professor of Thoracic Medicine; S. Elamparithi, a pulmonologist; S. Gandhimathinathan, Resident Medical Officer of Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine, Thoppur; and D. Jeya Ganesh, a pulmonologist; were honoured during the event.
Dr. Sangumani said it was a team effort of all postgraduates, doctors, trainees and assistant professors of the hospital in treating COVID-19 patients.