Noida: District hospital sees 88% drop in out-patient footfalls due to Covid-19 crisis

NOIDA: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of patients coming to the out-patient department (OPD) of district hospital in Sector 30 has dropped by 88% during

NOIDA: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of patients coming to the out-patient department (OPD) of district hospital in Sector 30 has dropped by 88% during April-June as compared to the figures of corresponding period last year.

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According to hospital authorities, while the average number of patients visiting OPD was around 3,500 between April and June last year, it was around 400 during the past three months.

Dr VB Dhaka, chief medical superintendent (CMS) of district hospital, said that despite many departments in operation, the number of OPD patients has gone down drastically since the first phase of lockdown was announced.

The hospital administration has mainly attributed the sharp drop in OPD patients to mass exodus of migrants and Covid-19 fear among the people.

“At present, many departments like gynaecology, fever clinic, dental, ophthalmology, and paediatric are open in the hospital for patients. While the number of OPD patients recorded in June this year was 438, it was 385 and 409 in March and April, respectively,” Dhaka said.

Dhaka further said that patients are refraining to come to the hospital as they fear of getting infection from the quarantine ward here. “The district hospital was supposed to be a ‘green zone’ hospital, meant for non-Covid patients. Since the 400-bed Covid-dedicated hospital has not yet started in Sector 39, we are unable to shift our quarantined patients there,” he said.

The quarantine ward in the hospital has 50 beds, of which 42 are currently occupied, the authorities said.

The chief medical superintendent also said that the mass exodus of workers from the district has resulted in the sharp decline in out-patient footfalls. “Most of the people who visit the district hospital are from lower economic strata. As many workers have returned to their native places during the Covid-19 crisis, the number of patients has gone down,” he said.

When contacted, Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate Suhas LY said that the 400-bed Covid-dedicated hospital in Sector 39 will be operational in 10-15 days. “The additional principal secretary (health) will visit the hospital premises in a day or two. Once this hospital becomes operational, the district hospital will act as a complete non-Covid hospital,” he said.