Ghaziabad: Health staff allege misbehaviour by patients in isolation ward

The staff nurses of the MMG District Hospital have given a written complaint to the of the hospital’s chief medical superintendent (CMS) about alleged misbehaviour

The staff nurses of the MMG District Hospital have given a written complaint to the of the hospital’s chief medical superintendent (CMS) about alleged misbehaviour by five suspected patients and one confirmed case of coronavirus who are lodged in the isolation ward. According to officials, complaints have been forwarded to the chief medical officer (CMO) for action and also marked to the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police of Ghaziabad district.

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According to CMS Dr Ravindra Rana, the complaint alleges that six patients admitted in the isolation ward of MMG Hospital have been passing comments and resorting to unruly behaviour with nurses. They added that the six are those who have been recently picked up by the health department in a drive to identify persons who attended different religious congregations, including the one held at Delhi’s Nizamuddin mid-March.

“The nurses have given us in writing that the six male patients were roaming around without wearing proper clothes. They were also passing comments at the female staff and singing objectionable songs, besides demanding cigarettes from them. They have also alleged that the patients are not consuming medicines given to them and also try to come close to the staff even if they are told to stay at a distance. Also instead of maintaining social distancing, they are sitting together on the same bed and talking,” Dr Rana said.

“Based on their written complaint I forwarded a letter Thursday evening to the chief medical officer of the district and sought his intervention. A copy of the same has been sent to the local police, the district magistrate and the Ghaziabad SSP. The nurses are working hard day and night at the isolation wards to treat patients and they are very upset with the unruly behaviour shown towards them. The complaint has been submitted by six nurses,” he added.

He added that other patients in other isolation wards have shown cordial behaviour towards the doctors and the nurses.

Though the ward is meant for suspected cases only the positive case was confirmed late Thursday. Ghaziabad CMO Dr NK Gupta said that with this latest case, the tally of confirmed Sars-Cov-2 cases in Ghaziabad has gone up to ten.

“The latest case which tested positive is one of the six lodged in the isolation ward of MMG Hospital, who, we have come to know, has visited the event at Delhi’s Nizamuddin,” Dr Gupta added.

When contacted over the issue of the alleged harassment, Shahi Imam Mufti Zameer said that no one should be rude or indulge in any sort of misbehaviour with health personnel.

“Any such act against doctors or health staff is unacceptable. They are saviours and are fighting to protect everyone against Covid-19. I would also appeal that anyone who has visited any religious congregation should come forward voluntarily and take up medical examination. This will benefit everyone. Such a message has also been issued from Nizamuddin on Thursday,” he added.

Till Thursday evening, the health department officials identified and put under quarantine and isolation at least 136 persons who had attended different religious congregations.

“We are yet to receive the formal complaint copy sent by the CMS. However, I have directed the concerned station house officer to visit the isolation ward at least two times daily to ensure that there is no unruly activity of any sort against the hospital staff. We have already stationed personnel outside the ward and officials have been asked to take up legal action in case anyone is found harassing hospital staff,” said Manish Mishra, superintendent of police (city).

In other two quarantine facilities at Masuri and Muradnagar, the officials have deployed a sub-inspector and two constables to ensure that there is no unruly activity on the part of anyone who is in quarantine.

“The personnel have been asked to make use of force if any such activity is witnessed and also ensure that no one runs away from any of the two quarantine facilities. The police personnel have also been given protective suits and are working in two shifts of 12 hours per day,” said Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, superintendent of police (rural).

Dr Gupta, meanwhile, said that he has asked police officials to take strict legal action against the six persons.

“I have spoken to the CMS of MMG Hospital and he told me about nurses and staff allegedly being harassed by six persons lodged in the isolation ward. The six are those who were recently brought to the isolation ward after they attended religious congregations,” he said.

“It was found that most of the time, they sit together on a single bed and do not maintain social distance. They should have been on their respective beds but continue to defy health protocols. What is worse is that one of these six was tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday evening. It is now suspected that the other five have chances of becoming infected as well,” Dr Gupta added.

The health department said that 90 of 136 who were recently picked up were lodged at a quarantine facility at Masuri while 35 others are at a facility at Muradnagar. Six of them are in isolation at MMG Hospital while the remaining five are at Sanjay Nagar Hospital, they added.