Can’t fund converting two defunct private hospitals into Covid-19 isolation centres: IMA

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Noida chapter, has refused to bear the cost of renovating and installing equipment at two defunct private hospitals which were

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Noida chapter, has refused to bear the cost of renovating and installing equipment at two defunct private hospitals which were taken over by the Gautam Budh Nagar administration for developing isolation centres for Covid-19 patients.

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In an order issued on March 20, the district administration had taken over the two defunct hospitals, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences in Sector 40 and Mitra Hospital in Sector 35. The district magistrate had reached out to the Noida chapter of the IMA in the hopes that the association will fund the renovation work at the hospitals and also provide medical staff to turn them into isolation centres.

“We had a meeting with the district magistrate (DM) and he wanted us to fund the cost of renovating the two hospitals. It requires huge funds, and we don’t have adequate financial resources to do it. We also can’t provide any medical staff for the two hospitals for now as doctor or medical staff who treat Covid-19 patients will have to be quarantined for 14 days, This will affect the treatment of regular patients. We have conveyed our concerns to the DM,” said Dr NK Sharma, president IMA (Noida chapter).

According to the chief medical officer, Dr Anurag Bhargava, there is no immediate need for isolation centres for Covid-19 patients. He, however, said the department will now use government funds to convert the two hospitals into isolation centres.

“The central government has announced a fund of ₹15,000 crore to fight Covid-19, and it will take some time for the funds to reach the states and then the districts. Once we get them, we will be using those fund to develop the two hospitals as the IMA cannot do it. Currently, there is no emergency and we have enough arrangements,” Dr Bhargava said.

The Gautam Budh Nagar health department has reserved 10 beds at Government Institute of Medical Sciences(GIMS) in Greater Noida and nine beds at Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute in Sector 30 (more commonly known as Child PGI) for patients infected with the coronavirus disease(Covid-19).

After ten patients who tested positive for Covid-19 were admitted to GIMS, the hospital’s officials said the facility’s casualty ward will be converted into an isolation ward adding 25 beds for Covid-19 patients. Officials said the process will take two or three days. Any person who is found positive for the virus will now be admitted to the Super Speciality Paediatric Hospital and Post Graduate Teaching Institute, officials said.

The health department has been finding it difficult to motivate doctors and other medical staff to treat suspected or confirmed cases of Covid-19. “People are scared to get involved in work related to Covid-19, and we have been holding various meetings to motivate people to come forward. In case of any emergency, every doctor and health worker will have to work as per the orders of the government,” Dr Bhargava said.

Meanwhile, at the behest of the Uttar Pradesh government, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, located within the Sharda University campus, is going to prepare a 200-bed isolation ward for Covid-19 patients at the facility. The decision was taken Wednesday after a videoconference between the management of the hospital and the Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Khanna and chief secretary Rajnish Dubey.

The hospital is also going to start a lab where Covid-19 related tests can be conducted. A 300-bed ward will also be prepared to quarantine the medical and other staff involved in taking care of Covid-19 patients. All the arrangements will be supervised by Dr Saurabh Shrivastava who is currently heading the team of doctors treating Covid-19 patients at GIMS.

“The work of developing isolation wards and quarantine centre has already started, and we are expecting that it to be completed in a week’s time. Our doctors and other medical staff will be treat Covid-19 patients,” Ajit Kumar, joint registrar, Sharda University, said.