Jaipur: Patient footfall in SMS Hospital at pre-Covid levels

JAIPUR: Patients are making a beeline to Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in large numbers for various kinds of health checks amid fear of the Covid third wave.
The outpatient department is now registering almost the same number of patients, which it used to register before the pandemic. Patients can be seen standing at long serpentine queues at the OPD waiting for their turn to see the doctor.
Even in wards, the situation is not different. A ward of surgery department, which has a capacity of 34 beds, is currently accommodating 60 patients.
“The daily registration at the outpatient department is more than 8,000 and it goes even more up to 10,000,” said Dr Rajesh Sharma, medical superintendent, SMS Hospital.
While patients are coming in increased numbers, it has become quite difficult for the hospital administration to control the situation as the fear of third covid wave is looming large.
However, the hospital administration appealed to patients to follow Covid appropriate behavior. But, at a time when more than 8,000 patients along with their relatives are coming to the hospital, it has become a herculean task for the administration to ensure social distancing.
Besides, doctors who are providing treatment to patients, are also facing difficulties as a lot of patients are coming with complications as they delayed their treatment fearing Covid during the second wave. “We are witnessing patients with gallbladder stone, kidney stones, hernia and appendicitis. But, now such patients are coming with malignancy, jaundice and perforated appendicitis, which are complications. Actually, hernia may not be emergency, but if surgery gets delayed, it may become an emergency. So, a lot of such cases are coming and we have no option except admitting them to operate in emergency situation,” said Dr Jeevan Kankaria, professor (surgery), SMS Hospital.