Social distancing goes for a toss at SCB Medical College and Hospital

CUTTACK: With no social distancing, huge rush at diagnostic centres and OPD ticket counters in SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCB MCH) here has posed a serious threat of rapid spread of Covid infection in the State.The premier government-run hospital sees inflow of thousands of patients from all across districts every day. While Covid-19 guidelines are being thrown to the wind at the overcrowded hospital, the authorities are not implementing standard operating procedure (SOP).

The wards notwithstanding all facilities including the diagnostic centres, laboratory counters, Niramaya counters, OPDs, casualty and even the roads are choc-a-bloc with every norm thrown to the wind.Huge rush of patients and their attendants can be noticed at the blood sample collection counters, OPD and super specialty OPD ticket counters and registration kiosk for X-ray and ultrasound without maintaining social distancing norms. Similarly, the casualty of the hospital remains overcrowded on any day at any point of time. 

Apart from violation of social distancing norms, patients and their attendants do not wear masks in absence of enforcement either by police or security personnel engaged in the hospital. Wards in medicine and nephrology departments are glaring examples of such violations. Here, two to five attendants can be found attending a single patient without wearing masks. 

Health experts said if such situation continues, the hospital may soon not only turn into a hotspot but also transfer the virus to the districts. The hospital authorities should immediately restrict its operations to the levels that was being done  during the first wave. Routine admissions and surgeries should be postponed and only emergency cases be admitted. The authorities should restart telemedicine services for providing healthcare to the people, they stressed. SCB MCH Superintendent Prof Lucy Das, however, said steps are being taken to avoid rush at RDC, Niramaya and OPD ticket counters by deploying more security personnel.