Via The Times of India: No separate wards for dengue, Japanese encephalitis, swine flu. Excerpt:
KANPUR: The health authorities claim to be prepared to handle seasonal diseases but the scene at district hospitals is contrary to that. No government hospital has 'isolation ward' for diseases like swine flu, dengue or Japanese encephalitis. Even the laboratory of the medical college is ill-equipped to test blood samples.
As per the recent guidelines of state health authorities, all the district hospitals must have a 10-bed isolated ward for JE, dengue and swine flu. All the government hospitals and CHCs must have medicines. Trained staff should be posted in the wards. Educational sessions should also be held in rural areas.
The situation is just the opposite at the hospitals due to lack of funds and space.
Chief medical superintendent, Ursula Horsman Hospital, Dr UC Sinha said that a 10-bed isolation ward is there but is tough to use it for three diseases. The hospital also have three isolated rooms for special cases, but the condition is miserable.
According to hospital sources, the sanitary conditions at isolation wards of the UHM hospital is poor.
The rooms lack basic facilities like proper ventilation and cooling.
The condition in the 10-bed isolation ward is not much different. There is no partition between two beds. The ward has a common toilet, raising concerns about the arrangements.
"We use single isolation ward for each disease. No dengue, JE or swine flu case had been reported here. But if patients come, the situation will be difficult to manage," said a doctor.
The scenes at Kamlapat Singhania Memorial Hospital and Manyawar Kashiram Sanyukt Chikitsalaya and Trauma Center are no different. There is no isolation ward. These hospitals are also facing shortage of medicines.
