GARD speaks out on several issues plaguing treatment of COVID patients
Panaji: Making a sensational revelation, the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) on Sunday said the supply of medical oxygen in COVID wards of the Goa Medical College and Hospital is “not even close to sufficient”.
In a letter written to GMC dean Dr S M Bandekar, the doctors association highlighted various issues and obstacles faced by them while discharging their duties.
They maintained that the resident doctors have to suffer because of the lies peddled by the higher authorities in the media over oxygen supply and availability of beds at the GMC.
“The oxygen supply in various COVID wards is not even close to sufficient. The central oxygen flows deliver very low flow oxygen at times, and that is inadequate to keep NIVs and ventilators working effectively,” stated the GARD letter.
“Also, the oxygen cylinders being used for patients get over in the middle of the night and it takes at least two-three hours for a replacement cylinder to come, and sometimes more than that; and for this time period, the patients are kept without oxygen with saturations dropping to less than 60 per cent. A similar situation is also faced at the South Goa District Hospital,” the letter maintained.
They have also alleged that COVID patients have died due to the shortage of oxygen supply.
The doctors said in the letter that they read news of all higher authorities giving statements on a daily basis that there are no issues of oxygen and beds. The patients then ask the resident doctors on duty in casualty and the wards: if there is no lack of beds then why the patients are kept on trolleys/wheelchairs/floor, and as to why the patients are not getting oxygen.
In the middle of the night when oxygen gets over, and patients’ condition worsens and sometimes die, it is the junior doctor on duty who has to face the ire of the angry relatives, who take out their anger on the lack of facilities on the resident doctors on duty, the letter said.
The GARD stated that there are critical patients who have to be managed on trolleys and the floor and kept on ventilators in the critical COVID wards.
They further said the wards with the capacity of 30 beds have more than 50 patients on an average and for every 30 patients there is only one doctor.
They have also protested against the ‘VIP culture’, claiming that the doctors are being pressurised to give more attention to “VIP patients”.
“Residents in COVID casualty, who are managing more than 30 patients at a time, are told to see these VIP patients on a preferential basis and get them admitted fast, even if many times, they don’t require admission,” they said, adding that the other critical patients waiting for two-three hours for check-up fight with the doctors.
Questioning the GMC dean over the announcements on opening new COVID facilities, the GARD asked as to why there are no announcements on recruitment of new staff or doctors.
“Are we supposed to manage these additional facilities too in addition to the SGDH, the ESI and the GMC?. Currently, one resident doctor is managing up to 30 patients on (an) average and some are doing shifts of up to 24 hours,” they said, asking whether the administration wants to make them work even more.
The GARD urged the higher authorities to acknowledge the shortcomings of the health infrastructure in the state so that the patients know what to expect when they visit the hospital for treatment.
On violence against doctors, they demanded deployment of armed guards outside COVID wards and the casualty ward.
And they also sought installation of CCTV surveillance cameras inside all the COVID wards.
The doctors’ body stated that posters and signage should be put up in hospitals emphasising that violence against healthcare workers will be dealt with firmly by the law.
“Please address our issues; we don’t just want verbal assurances, we need immediate action or else, something disastrous may happen,” the GARD said.