New Delhi: Patients suffering from dengue
are finding it difficult to get admission in city hospitals
because of a sudden spurt in the number of cases and limited
beds at these medical facilities.
Three hospitals in the city -- All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, Safdarjung Hospital and Ram Manohar Lohia
Hospital -- are taking maximum burden of dengue patients,
despite having limited beds at their disposal thus choking the
resources.
Premier medical institute AIIMS has reported the highest
number of admissions related to dengue fever till now. The
city has reported 550 dengue cases and one death this season.
"All wards are full. Nearly 50 patients including
children are admitted for dengue fever. Every day we get 10 to
15 new admissions. Some are confirmed cases while others are
suspected cases. Those suspected are admitted for monitoring
for sudden fall in platelet count or some additional symptoms
along with high fever," a doctor with the Department of
Medicine said.
Unlike in the year 2006, when a separate dengue ward was
set up to tackle influx of patients, there are no separate
facilities this time. All dengue patients are being admitted
to the medicine ward which has a total of 60 beds which are
all occupied.
As a result, patients are being adjusted in corridors of
the hospitals as well. The authorities have managed to bring
an additional bed in the space between two beds. When the rush
increases, one bed is shared by two patients as well.
"It took us two days to finally get a bed in the ward.
After admission, my brother, who is a confirmed patient of
dengue, was made to lie in a bed in the corridor," Nitin,
relative of a dengue patient who was brought at AIIMS, said.
PTI
