Bathinda: Setting aside initial reservations over risking the spread of infection among cancer patients, the administration has decided to use the Advanced Cancer Institute (ACI) in the city as an isolation facility for covid-19 patients. Initially, 40 beds on the third floor will be used and more space will be taken up, if needed.
The decision was taken at meeting of the health department, the district administration and the vice-chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot, the parent institute of ACI, on Friday.
On Thursday, hospital staff, including doctors and attendants of cancer patients had protested against moving covid-19 patients to the institute.
Bathinda civil surgeon Dr Amrik Singh told HT on Friday that now all suspected or positive coronavirus cases will be taken directly to the ACI for treatment at the isolation facility. “The institute will ensure separate passage for covid patients and their movement near the cancer wards will be strictly restricted,” he said, while admitting that cancer patients had low immunity and should not be exposed to the virus.
“Cancer patients will have to be extra cautious at the ACI due to their compromised immunity level. BFUHS has decided to provide the X-ray test station to the covid facility. Separate lab facilities may also be started,” the civil surgeon added.
{{/usCountry}}“Cancer patients will have to be extra cautious at the ACI due to their compromised immunity level. BFUHS has decided to provide the X-ray test station to the covid facility. Separate lab facilities may also be started,” the civil surgeon added.
{{/usCountry}}He said AIIMS Bathinda cannot be used as the inpatient department (IPD) was not complete yet. The decision to rope in private institutes, including a private medical university in Bathinda may be taken, in case of emergency.
Parvinder Sandhu, an oncological surgeon at ACI, said, “I put-off scheduled surgeries since Wednesday. Due to the lockdown, patients from nearby towns who used to visit Chandigarh, Ludhiana or Rajasthan for chemotherapy and radiation therapy are also coming to us, leading to 20% more load. Due to the covid facility, we have to shift ICU-ward patients to other rooms. For chemotherapy patients, we will have to use the dharamshala on campus.”
ACI medical superintendent Dr Deepak Arora said the institute will need to issue advisory to its patients and attendants due to the threat of the virus infection at the hospital.