Attendants of Covid patients risk infection

ERODE: Even as Erode registered the third highest number of Covid cases after Coimbatore and Chennai on Tuesday, attenders are still being allowed to be with the patients in Thanthai Periyar Government Hospital. This has triggered fears that they could turn into super-spreaders as they commute back and forth from home. Officials, however, said that relatives of patients on oxygen support requested permission to stay with them.

Spreading virus

A large of patients in the Erode GH are from rural areas of the district. In some cases, the kin take turns to be with the patients which exposes them to the risk of infection. When they travel home to bathe and bring food, they spread the virus infection, said sources.

Erode South Congress District president Makkal Rajan, said that he advised attenders not to venture into wards. “Seeing that the patients are not provided proper care, they refuse to do that. Till now, there are several attenders in the Covid ward. The hospital authorities should instil confidence in kin.”

Worries mount

"My sister is admitted in the Erode GH. Even if patients are shouting asking for water when we have gone home, there is no one to provide it. In such a situation, how can I leave her and go out?" worried an attender.   

Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy , who is in-charge of Covid control measures in the district,said, "The number of patients has increased drastically and we have also recruited more doctors and nurses to provide proper care. Many attenders do not listen to our advice and we are trying to explain to them politely."

Erode GH Medical Superintendent said that volunteers have been appointed to ensure that attenders are not let inside. The hospital currently has around 450 beds including 300 oxygen beds for treating Covid patients.

Death due to delay in changing cylinders?

Kin of a 47-year-old patient at the Thanthai Periyar Government Hospital alleged that he died in the wee hours of Wednesday as there was a delay of more than 15 minutes to change the oxygen cylinder after it ran out. "He was admitted to the hospital ten days ago. On Monday, a doctor told me that he would get better and that he was showing signs of improvement. On Tuesday night, he suddenly started having breathing troubles after which we realised that the oxygen cylinder had run out. Along with attenders of other patients, we asked the duty doctor to change it. He died shortly after that,” she said and alleged that the video taken by another attender was deleted by the hospital authorities.

Minister for Housing Muthusamy denied any such incident and added that good care is being provided to the patients with the available staff in the hospital. He added that an officer, not from the hospital, has been asked to inquire into the issue.