Pune hospitals deny admission to swine flue suspected patients

Last updated Sep 12, 2018

NP NEWS NETWORK

Pune

Several private and government hospitals in the city are denying intensive care unit (ICU) beds to new swine flu suspected patients. This situation is forcing the patients and their relatives to run from pillar to post for admissions.

There is urgent need to intervene by the health authorities of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to solve the issue, urged patients and their relatives.

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A farmer from a village in Baramati taluka faced this bitter experience on Saturday night. His 43-year-old wife Shakuntala (name changed) was advised an Intensive care by the doctor. Shakuntala, a housewife, was suffering from cold, fever for the last seven days.

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“I took her to the private doctor in Baramati and doctor gave her medicines. But despite this, she could not recover. Three days back she complained of breathlessness and she was taken to a private hospital in Baramati. She was admitted to the ICU. After examining the x-ray of the patient, the doctor said that she has developed chest infection by pneumonia and may be positive for swine flu. The doctor advised us to move as quickly as possible to a big hospital in Pune for further treatment, citing life threat to the patient”, the farmer recalled.

He further added, “It was Saturday midnight and we made several phone calls to Ruby, Jehangir, Fermanagh, Poona, Budhrani and even government hospital of Sassoon for ICU bed for the patient, but all of them denied saying non-availability of the beds.”

Then the patient was directly brought to a private hospital in Katraj area for admission on Sunday early morning. But hospital administration denied them treatment. The relatives of the patient called a senior doctor in the hospital and then the patient was admitted.

Commenting on the issue, Dr. Padma Iyer, president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Pune chapter, said that there is increase in swine flu affected patients these days. The PMC authorities should call a meeting with private doctors to increase ICU beds for swine flue suspected patients.

When contacted, Dr. Anjali Sabne, assistant health officer of PMC, said that there are only 22 ICU beds for the swine flu patients and the number will be increased soon.