After becoming COVID-19 dedicated, Hindu Rao discharges over 130 patients
New delhi: Over 130 patients were discharged from the Hindu Rao Hospital here most of whom were discharged without a referral policy and were under critical care at the facility after the North MCD-run hospital was overnight converted into a designated COVID-19 hospital. Millennium Post spoke to six non-COVID critical care patients' kin who were hung out to dry on Monday morning and were told that the hospital would now treat only COVID-19 patients.
Deepak Agarwal had found his elder brother, Jugal, unconscious in his room two weeks ago, who has been in that state till date. Jugal was battling clinical depression when he lost his job at an IT company and his wife and children left him. "He had stopped eating and one day he became unconscious. We got him admitted here in ICU but today they have suddenly discharged him. Where do I take him now?" asked Agarwal desperately.
The 980-bed hospital, the biggest under the MCD with a staff of 600 doctors, 350 nurses and 300 allied workers, was turned into a COVID facility on Sunday. The hospital has 17 ventilators, 8 ICU and 4 HDU beds, and 250 beds with oxygen. There were 209 patients admitted at the hospital as of Sunday, who will now have to be shifted elsewhere by June 16.
Mohit Saini had admitted his brother to Hindu Rao when he started vomiting uncontrollably on Friday. "After we admitted him, we found out that his kidneys have failed and he has had two dialyses as of now. Where will I get his dialysis done today?" questioned Saini. Several private hospitals that he contacted have asked for admission fee which is beyond his budget.
After the emergency order to convert the facility, while more than 100 patients were discharged, many of them were not transferred or referred to another hospital.
A 72-year-old Mahavir Pawar was wheeled into the hospital by his son Gagan on June 6 when he complained of severe cough and breathlessness. Gagan said, "This morning I came to know that Hindu Rao Hospital has been converted into a COVID Hospital. The doctor said that you can take your father from here and get him admitted in any hospital, I requested him to transfer my father but he refused to do so. He said we can discharge but not transfer."
Pawar was being treated for pneumonia and had tested negative for COVID-19. "He is unable to walk even 5 steps, can't catch his breath, he gets fever every six hours," added Gagan. He has been running from pillar to post to get his father on oxygen again and while private hospitals are beyond his financial reach, his only hope is government-run hospitals. Late on Monday night, Pawar was admitted at the Lal Bahadur Shashtri Hospital.
"At present, few serious patients are admitted and some are even on a ventilator. The process of shifting these patients without any increased morbidity is under process. It is a continuing exercise and efforts are being made to ensure all non-COVID patients are shifted as soon as possible," said SDM Ira Singhal.
