Pune: Citizens of the city are feeling helpless as even dedicated Covid-hospitals are denying admission to the patients citing shortage of oxygenated and ventilator beds at their facilities. Moreover, ambulances are also in shortage with operators charging arbitrary rents to relatives.
A relative of a recently Covid-19 positive diagnosed patient said, “There is no information given about where to take the patient and how to take him. The doctors in the hospital are not ready to talk. When the relatives asked in desperation where the patient would be taken, a staff replied “Take patient to Wagholi.”
Then came the question of arranging an ambulance. We could not find one available. Finally one ambulance agreed, but on his terms and conditions of paying the rental. We approached three or four hospitals in the Wagholi area. The first question asked is whether the patient is Covid-19 positive. After answering ‘yes’, the staff advised, ‘This is not a Covid-19 hospital, take the patient elsewhere.’ Another employee of the hospital in Wagholi said, “There is no hospital bed vacant in Pune city hospitals, take the patient to Pimpri, the relative said.
“We then asked the ambulance driver to take us to Pimpri. At the same time, his rent amount also started increasing. When the patient was admitted to the hospital in Pimpri, it was half past five in the morning. Why are they mistreating Covid-19 patients,” asked helpless relatives of Covid-19 patients.
Another citizen Dattatreya Kashid said, “Even in the outpatient department (OPD), the treatment meted out to Covid-19 patients is very bad. No doctor comes near, neither do they check the patient. Doctors do not even ask any questions. It’s not just the government hospitals which are meting out such treatment to patients.”
“We went to a private hospital in expectation of getting a proper check-up done, but there was a long queue there. We sat there for two hours. The doctor there attended us for just about half a minute and handed us the prescription. After the prescription was given he immediately called another patient,” he narrated his experience.
Dr Bharat Khedkar said, “The number of Covid-19 patients in Pune city is increasing. The hospital beds, especially oxygenated and ventilated beds, are in acute shortage. Therefore, we recommend patients to stay at home in isolation. But, the crowd of such patients is also increasing in the outpatient departments.”
