Amidst increasing number of Covid19 positive cases and mounting death toll in Tripura, a controversy in Tripura Sundari Hospital has created confusion among people. Local sources alleged, one doctor, who was sent to quarantine, had been asked by the Hospital authority to perform an autopsy on a corona positive patient today. This report has sparked resentment among a section of the society.
It is learnt, one patient – Jagadish Das of 75 years – was brought to the Tripura Sundari Sub Divisional Hospital on August 21, 2020. The patient suffered a major cardiac arrest. One of the attending doctors made desperate attempts to save a patient.
During his all out efforts to revive the patient, the concerned doctor made himself exposed to danger of covid19 transmission – the doctor tried to revive the patient by blowing air from his mouth to the patient’s mouth. However, all efforts of the doctor turned futile as the patient died.
As per protocol, a Covid test of the dead patient was conducted which reported being positive. Maintaining the guidelines, the doctor – who came in close contact with the patient – was sent to quarantine immediately, however, today he was verbally asked by the authority to conduct an autopsy on the dead Covid19 positive patient. The doctor obeyed the verbal order and carried out autopsy – after which he returned to quarantine.
As the report spread, many raised an eye brow and questioned the justification of calling a quarantined doctor to conduct autopsy.
Even as officials remained tight-lipped to answer this, highly placed sources in the Hospital said that pandemic had resulted serious dearth of resources including manpower and logistic facilities.
“There is an acute shortage of doctors and nurses leaving the Hospitals in a helpless condition. Many health workers and officials are doing overtime duties – and trying to serve the people despite unthinkable odds”, the Hospital sources said on condition of anonymity.
Highlighting the pitiable condition of Tripura Sundari Sub Divisional Hospital, sources said that in view of manpower shortage, whenever a doctor or any medical staff becomes Covid19 positive, it implies manpower crisis has deepened further – it creates huge problems for the Hospital Authority to maintain even routine works. The higher authorities are well concerned about the acute shortage of resources – but the crisis is everywhere and with huge constraints it is really becoming difficult in combating the pandemic situation.
