Jalappa hospital refuses to treat COVID-19 patients

The district administration has decided to relocate COVID-19 patients from R L Jalappa Hospital and Research Centre (RLJHRC) to the SNR district hospital after the RLJHRC management refused to continue the treatment.

The management has orally requested the district administration to relocate the patients as the number of patients suffering from other disease visiting the hospital has reduced due to the fear of the spread of the virus. Even doctors are also refusing to treat the novel coronavirus infected patients

“The RLJHRC management has orally requested the district administration to relocate the patients from its hospital. We have directed the board of the management to submit the request in writing,” deputy commissioner C Satyabhama said.

The management of RLJHRC and Sambhram Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, in KGF had given consent for the treatment of COVID-19 patients to the district administration.

It is said that the RLJHRC management is bringing political pressure on the district administration for the relocation of the patients despite the government order directing the managements of private hospitals to cooperate with the government in treating COVID-19 patients.

The SNR district hospital is yet to be completely prepared for the treatment. The hospital at present has five beds in the Intensive Care Unit, while the number of COVID-19 patients is six in the district.

The number of cases is likely to go up as the reports of throat swabs and blood samples of 220 persons who came in contact with the infected persons are likely to reach the district administration on Monday.