Visakhapatnam: Once busy KGH now wears a desolate look

Visakhapatnam: The hospital that normally caters to scores of patients from North Andhra districts and neighbouring States, including Odisha and Chhattisgarh, now wears a desolate look.

King George Hospital (KGH) is one of the oldest State-run hospitals in Visakhapatnam. Many a time, two patients shared a bed on the premises in general, children and gynaecology wards.

However, the situation is different now as emptied beds greet the eye these days in several wards. The pandemic has not only hit the workplaces, organisations and industries but also the hospital sector at large and KGH is no exception.

Orthopaedic, neurosurgery, gastroenterology and general surgery are some of the departments in the hospital that remained closed for a while.

During pre-Covid times, 1,700 to 2,000 outpatients used to get admitted in various wards at KGH.

Owing to coronavirus, the total number of outpatients has come down to 300 to 400. There are various reasons for the dip in the outpatients. As some of the patients with other complaints being tested positive for coronavirus, doctors, nurses and the staff who attended them were also affected.

With the staff, including doctors, nurses, PG students and junior doctors, testing positive for Covid-19, their primary contacts too left for quarantine. As a result, several departments were forced to shut.

In addition, close to 30 per cent of the KGH staff members are working at Covid hospitals on deputation.

Unlike earlier, patients getting discharged outnumber the ones getting admitted now. "Except emergency cases, currently, we are not admitting any surgery cases. With the introduction of telemedicine, many prefer to avail the facility for apparent reasons. In case of general health issues, some are approaching primary health centres and area hospitals as well. In urban areas, there are Chief Minister Health centres catering to the needs of the patients. These are some of the reasons for the reduced number of patients arriving at KGH at the moment," explains G Arjuna, Superintendent of KGH.

With the surrounding places of the KGH forming a part of the active Covid clusters and an army of the KGH's staff residing in these neighbourhoods, many feel reluctant to venture out to attend to their duties. On the other hand, a sense of fear grips the patients for getting treated at the hospital as the staff tested positive for coronavirus.