SHILLONG: The strict protocols for safety against novel coronavirus are not new for the doctors, medical staff and patients at Reid Provincial Chest Hospital at Barapathar, which treats patients with tuberculosis.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, chest specialist Dr B Kharjana said masks, sanitisation and cough etiquettes are the common protocols in the hospital.
“We do it every day as we have to follow similar protocols for tuberculosis patients. So the pandemic has not changed anything as far as safety preparedness is concerned,” said the doctor at the heritage health institute.
The hospital currently has 50 patients, four doctors and 60 nurses. Patients with MDR or multi-drug resistant tuberculosis and XDR or extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis are kept in separate wards. Kharjana said the hospital authority anticipated a crisis even before the lockdown was announced and it took all measures to ensure that the supply chain of medicines is unaffected.
“The hospital sends medicines to the district tuberculosis units every month and patients collect from the respective PHCs and CHCs. So far, there is no shortage of supply of TB medicines,” said Kharjana.
There is a check on the number of admissions at the hospital, which is not a COVID testing centre but does collect samples, because of the ongoing situation but “we have never stopped taking in patients and do accept critical cases”.
She also said that doctors are working twelve hours instead of the normal seven hours.
Pathologist Dr SM Chen is the person who has to go to the field to collect samples. “It is a risky work and we are scared to visit different districts and even the sensitive areas. But it is our job,” said Chen.
Patients who were fit to be released have been sent home. The new patients are “kept under observation” in isolation before shifting to the specialised wards. The hospital received four patients who were tested negative for COVID and they were suffering from tuberculosis.
When asked about visitors, Kharjana said a patient can have one visitor now. “Only the critical patients who need to complete their six-month DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course) regimen are staying here,” she added. Though other amenities have been taken care of, there is one hurdle that the doctors are facing because of the lockdown. Kharjana said detection of MDR cases has become difficult as there is only one centre at Nazareth Hospital.
Another problem, which is a perpetual one, is encroachment. A part of the hospital is densely populated because of illegal settlement and residents often use the path through the hospital as a short-cut route.
“The hospital has no fencing and this allows people to encroach. This is a major problem as people come into the institute where critical TB patients are admitted and there is always a fear of infection. We received central funds and utilised it to put up solar lights on the premises, which used to be pitch dark earlier. We have also got health equipment, a generator and put up fence along the walkway to prevent people from intruding into the main premises,” said Kharjana.
