Coronavirus: Karnataka govt to rope in private hospitals to quarantine patients

After patients suspected of carrying Coronavirus complained of inadequate facilities at the state-run Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD), talks are on to rope in the private sector as the patients have demanded private rooms.

In all, there are nine patients at the RGICD, six men and three women. All of them have travel history to China, and 50% of them are self-reported cases.

A 36-year-old techie, one of the nine suspected patients housed in the isolation ward at the RGICD, who had travelled to Shenzhen, told DH: "This is not a proper isolation ward. We're using the same washroom, soap and toilet. There are chances of us being infected. There are issues with hygiene and food. We're not getting hot water to gargle or drink."

He said he travelled to Shenzhen on January 21 and returned on 24. "I was admitted here yesterday. We are demanding to be shifted to private rooms or sent home. We can be much safer at home. We know this virus is a serious threat. We are ourselves getting disinfectants to spray on the beds. Once the report comes as negative, I can go back home tomorrow, hopefully," he said.

Yadav spoke about an international patient who was transferred from the Manipal Hospital to the RGICD. "Today she was crying a lot because she was feeling stuck," he said.

Dr C Nagaraj, Director, RGICD, told DH: "I have brought to the notice of the health department that the patients are demanding private rooms with attached bathrooms. We don't have those facilities."

"Cross ventilation is very important for isolation wards and in a private room. Even if it is private, it will not have cross ventilation. One of the patients transferred, in fact, was from the Manipal Hospital, probably because they have not set up isolation wards yet."