The nurse-patient ratio is heavily skewed in KC General Hospital that is treating more than 100 Covid-19 patients. Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar's late-night visit to the state government-run hospital on Friday night revealed that instead of having one nurse for every ten Covid patients as per protocol, the hospital had two nurses for 112 patients.
There was also only one Group D staff to shift dead bodies in the hospital and cleaning services.
Six healthcare staff donned in head to toe PPE spoke to Sudhakar standing on a skywalk in the hospital campus on Friday night, as they were working in the Covid-19 ward and not supposed to be in proximity with outsiders.
"Every ten patients should have one sister. We have two sisters for 112 patients at night. How can we manage? Out of five physicians, three are Covid-19 positive, only two are working," said a nurse to Sudhakar.
According to statistics provided by Dr BR Venkateshaiah, medical superintendent of KC General Hospital, there are one nursing superintendent, three senior nursing officers, and 92 junior nursing officers (86 have been hired, two posts are vacant). Eight auxiliary nurse midwives have been hired. From the BBMP's end, five nursing officers have been appointed. On contract, nine nurses are serving. This accounts for 123 nursing officers in total.
Out of these 22 nurses are either Covid-19 positive or under quarantine for being a contact. 14 are under quarantine after Covid-19 work. Eleven are on leave. Five are absent without leave. Hence, in all 52 are not working currently.
Group D staff
There are 47 group D employees and 37 are on contract, in all, 84. Of these four of them are in quarantine and have tested positive. Eight are under quarantine after Covid-19 work at the hospital. Three are on leave. Nine are absent without leave. In all, 24 housekeeping staff are not working.
"Please depute physicians, staff nurses and group D from somewhere. There is no group D staff in the male ward or the female ward of the hospital. Only one man is shifting dead bodies," urged the nurse to Sudhakar. "In all, 98 staffers are on leave for various reasons," said Dr Venkateshaiah to DH.