Docs down with dengue, hospitals face staff crunch
2 Sep 2016 11:43 PM GMT
Authorities said on Thursday that they are witnessing a shortage of staff as many doctors, including senior faculty members, have tested positive for the vector-borne diseases, keeping them from discharging their duties.
According to government-run Safdarjung Hospital, while a total of 10-12 senior faculty members have tested positive for chikungunya, at least 25 junior doctors, including senior and junior residents, are suffering from chikungunya and dengue. Notably, Safdarjung already has a staff shortage of over 30 per cent.
“A good number of our doctors are badly suffering from chikungunya and dengue, including senior faculty members and resident doctors. While a few of them are admitted to the hospital, many are on leaves and undergoing treatment at home as the dengue wards are flooded with patients and there is no space,” A K Rai, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, said.
“We are managing with very less number of doctors right now,” Rai added. Rai said that there is also a shortage of beds which is creating a havoc-type situation in the hospitals.
Out of the 175 chikungunya patients in centrally-located Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, over 30 are doctors of the hospital itself, an official said. “I personally know five senior faculty members of RML Hospital who were badly ill with chikungunya and dengue. However, the total number of doctors suffering from chikungunya and dengue is somewhere between 30-35,” V K Sinha, spokesperson of RML Hospital, said.
3 more dengue Deaths, toll climbs to 8
A two-and-a-half-year-old girl died of dengue on Thursday while two more deaths were reported in the national Capital due to the vector-borne disease as the toll mounted to eight this season. While Usra succumbed at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital today (Thursday), three-year-old girl Noma died at Apollo Hospital on August 28, officials said. Sources said both the girls were from Shaheen Bagh area in South Delhi. The total number of fatalities due to the deadly disease now stands at eight.
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