Even with the spike in the number of cases in Asia’s largest hospital for treating tuberculosis, Sewri TB Hospital continues to be short staffed. On a daily basis the hospital has to turn to Nair, Sion and KEM hospitals for chest physicians, psychiatrists, surgeons and aestheticians.
While 1,85,279 people have died of tuberculosis in the state between 2001 and 2012, a total of 1,13,686 patients have died of it between 2001 and 2014 in the city. According to the estimates, on an average, 23 patients succumb to tuberculosis everyday in the city while 42 are dying of it on a daily basis in the state.
According to sources, there are over 300 vacancies for doctors, nurses and ward boys. “The authorities will never reveal the actual figure but the hospital is lacking in manpower. Each doctor and nurse has to attend to 50 to 60 patients per day. This means that they are 50 times more likely to contract the disease,” said a doctor from the hospital requesting anonymity.
In the last three years only 3,800 surgeries have been conducted in the department, out of which only over 70 were major thorasic surgeries, according to the data procured from the department.
“Most of the times we have to refer patients to other hospitals due to unavailability of experts. The surgeries that have been conducted in the hospital have taken place after a lot of effort. Over 60 to 70 people are required for surgeries everyday,” said a senior doctor from the hospital, requesting anonymity.
For every surgery that is conducted in the hospital, anesthetic doctors from Sion, Nair and KEM are called in.
Due to low manpower and overexposure to TB patients, the hospital staff too contract the disease which increases the work load. Other reasons like lack of basic infrastructure, a low-nutrition diet for staffers, zero work exemption paid out to infected employees and a month-long wait for results are also deteriorating their condition, said the sources.
“The number of deaths and employees who have contracted the disease run in thousands. The official figures are too low to show the intensity of our problem,” said a member of the labour union who is also suffering from tuberculosis and is waiting for his sputum reports.
Dr M. Nanaware, medical superintendent of the hospital, remained unavailable for comment even after constant calls and messages.
Dr Mini Kheterpal, the city’s epidemic control officer, said that while most of the patients are getting assistance in the hospital, the problem of staff shortage is being sorted at various levels.
Source: The Asian Age