BENGALURU: As the third wave peaks and infections continue to skyrocket, healthcare establishments in Bengaluru are grappling with severe staff shortages as a growing number of their employees are testing positive, reports Sunita Rao R. A total of 18 operation theater staff have turned positive in the last three days at Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research. Doctors say this is a very stressful time for him. Many hospitals have postponed elective surgeries.
Healthcare establishments in the state capital are grappling with severe staff shortage as several of their employees test positive COVID-19, Infections have been rising in the past week, resources have been stretched and services in some hospitals have been affected.
For example, 18 operation theater workers have contracted the infection in the last three days at the government-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICSR), which sees 1,050 patients daily in the OPD alone.
The infected staff includes 10 cardiac surgeons and two anesthetists. The hospital has now been forced to postpone elective procedures.
Rajiv Gandhi Institute sew Disease (RGICD), 30 employees including doctors have tested positive. The situation is no different at KC General Hospital, where during the past one week, 37 employees contracted the viral infection.
While infected workers isolate themselves, their symptomatic contacts and colleagues are in quarantine and asymptomatic contacts have to continue to work. The hospital is treating people suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARI) who are negative for COVID-19. RGICD Director Dr C Nagaraj said, “So far our work has not been hampered and we are working with the existing staff.” “But some key workers have got infected. However, none of them required hospitalization and all of them are recovering in home isolation.”
However, Dr CN Manjunath, Director, SJICSR said that things are unbearable. He said the hospital had no option but to defer elective procedures. “In cardiac complications, an elective surgery soon becomes an emergency surgery. It is a tough call, but we have no choice,” he said, acknowledging that he is likely to have more staff positive .
Most hospitals are not testing the contacts of infected staff until they show symptoms. “If we start doing contact tracing in the hospital, the majority will test positive. We will have very few doctors and nurses left. Even among the administrative staff, cases are increasing. Hence, the policy is to test only those with symptoms. No one should let his guard down,” said officials of another state-run hospital.
Hospitals have also informed COVID-affected employees that they should go back to work when their symptoms subside by the seventh or eighth day. “There is no quarantine period for those who do not have any symptoms after the seventh day,” said a doctor.
Out of 37 patients of KC General, 10 are doctors and 13 are nurses. “While all of them have mild symptoms, only nursing students living in hostels were admitted as they did not have a home to self-isolate. All infection control measures are in place to contain the spread,” said Dr BR Venkateshaya, medical superintendent, KC General.
Private hospitals were also no exception to this. In the last one week, 46 nurses and 30 doctors have been infected in MS Ramaiah Medical College Hospital. Associate Dean Dr Harish K said that no tests are required after recovery and they will be back to work within a week. “It hasn’t affected the work much,” he said.
Dr. Vivek Anand Padegal, Director, Pulmonary Diseases, fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road said, “A considerable number of our staff are testing positive. Cases are high among those working in non-Covid wards. He said that no one should reduce their security as the infection spreads rapidly.
Healthcare establishments in the state capital are grappling with severe staff shortage as several of their employees test positive COVID-19, Infections have been rising in the past week, resources have been stretched and services in some hospitals have been affected.
For example, 18 operation theater workers have contracted the infection in the last three days at the government-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJICSR), which sees 1,050 patients daily in the OPD alone.
The infected staff includes 10 cardiac surgeons and two anesthetists. The hospital has now been forced to postpone elective procedures.
Rajiv Gandhi Institute sew Disease (RGICD), 30 employees including doctors have tested positive. The situation is no different at KC General Hospital, where during the past one week, 37 employees contracted the viral infection.
While infected workers isolate themselves, their symptomatic contacts and colleagues are in quarantine and asymptomatic contacts have to continue to work. The hospital is treating people suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Disease (SARI) who are negative for COVID-19. RGICD Director Dr C Nagaraj said, “So far our work has not been hampered and we are working with the existing staff.” “But some key workers have got infected. However, none of them required hospitalization and all of them are recovering in home isolation.”
However, Dr CN Manjunath, Director, SJICSR said that things are unbearable. He said the hospital had no option but to defer elective procedures. “In cardiac complications, an elective surgery soon becomes an emergency surgery. It is a tough call, but we have no choice,” he said, acknowledging that he is likely to have more staff positive .
Most hospitals are not testing the contacts of infected staff until they show symptoms. “If we start doing contact tracing in the hospital, the majority will test positive. We will have very few doctors and nurses left. Even among the administrative staff, cases are increasing. Hence, the policy is to test only those with symptoms. No one should let his guard down,” said officials of another state-run hospital.
Hospitals have also informed COVID-affected employees that they should go back to work when their symptoms subside by the seventh or eighth day. “There is no quarantine period for those who do not have any symptoms after the seventh day,” said a doctor.
Out of 37 patients of KC General, 10 are doctors and 13 are nurses. “While all of them have mild symptoms, only nursing students living in hostels were admitted as they did not have a home to self-isolate. All infection control measures are in place to contain the spread,” said Dr BR Venkateshaya, medical superintendent, KC General.
Private hospitals were also no exception to this. In the last one week, 46 nurses and 30 doctors have been infected in MS Ramaiah Medical College Hospital. Associate Dean Dr Harish K said that no tests are required after recovery and they will be back to work within a week. “It hasn’t affected the work much,” he said.
Dr. Vivek Anand Padegal, Director, Pulmonary Diseases, fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road said, “A considerable number of our staff are testing positive. Cases are high among those working in non-Covid wards. He said that no one should reduce their security as the infection spreads rapidly.
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