Pune doctor charges govt of SARS fraud

Hindustan Times ^

[per loin]

A doctor at the local Siddarth hospital, who treated the first SARS patient in Maharashtra, on Thursday charged the state health authorities with providing pollution masks instead of clinical masks to the hospital. Dr Anand Kenj, who treated Stanley D'silva, said, "The masks are so bad that one cannot wear it more than half-an-hour". "The masks are devoid of filter which is used to separate the micro-organism from entering into the lungs. Hence, we have returned the same", Kenj said, adding wearing of such masks makes the quarantined person suffocate. Siddarth hospital chief Dr Vijay Setia accused the authorities of delaying shifting of three SARS positive patients of D'silva family to Naidu Hospital of Infectious Diseases, which he claims led to infection of his staff. "There was a delay of 35 hours in shifting these positive declared persons from my hospital to the special ward at the Naidu Hospital", Setia said. "During the 35 hours, N-95 masks or any Zed Kits to be used as per WHO norms, were not made available by the government and health department to me, my staff and in-house patients and doctors. This has led to at least nine of my staff members testing positive", he added. Setia said authorities should immediately provide the Hospital with masks and Zed kits for protection of those who tested negative, those whose reports were awaited and all those people who bring the daily needed things to the hospital. He also demanded shifting of in-house patients to other hospitals. "I am short of nursing staff as nine of them have been found positive till yesterday and the reports of others are awaited. We will find it very difficult to manage these patients for next five to six days," he added. He demanded immediate transfer of nine positive persons to special isolation wards made available by the government.

[per loin]

Vaishno Devi pilgrim from Nagpur in Jammu hospital with SARS symptoms

A pilgrim visiting Vaishno Devi has been admitted to the Government Medical College hospital with SARS symptoms here on Thursday evening, officials said on Friday.

Malti Singh, hailing from Nagpur, was kept in an isolation room of the disaster ward of the hospital here after being referred by Katra hospital, they said.

Hospital authorities have given masks and caps to her husband Girja Shankar Singh and her daughter-in-law, who were travelling with her.

The family had arrived here on Wednesday by train, the sources said adding she had complaint of respiratory problems after alighting from the train. Her family members gave her medicines from a local chemist and proceeded on their pilgrimage.

However, Singh's condition deteriorated on Thursday after returning from the cave shrine and she was taken to Katra hospital from where she was referred to the hospital here on Thursday evening.

Singh has symptoms of SARS-like high temperature, cough, heavy cold and other respiratory problems, medical officer of the hospital Dr Sanjay Bhatt said adding the patient was under continuous observation and medication and all tests were being conducted on her.

[Judith Anne]

A nightmare for the medical staff; nurses and doctors are getting sick from this, just by doing their jobs--who is going to take care of the sick? Civilians who have no idea what to do, how to help?

I foresee big problems this fall and winter for the US, if the supplies and facilities aren't in place to protect staff and other patients....

[per loin]

I have difficulty understanding the seemingly cavalier attitude of the Indian government. Or is their bureaucracy that incompetent?

You've mentioned your fall/winter fears several times. Do you base that on it being a coronavirus, and more likely to spread in cooler air?

[Judith Anne]

Most of the time, the viruses we see in the US in the fall and winter get their start in China, most particularly rural China, in the late winter and previous spring.

That's what we base our flu vaccines on, each year, the most likely virus to cause that year's US flu--the most prevalent Chinese virus...I just don't think there will be an effective vaccine against SARS, no matter how much research there is. There are too many unknowns, too many hurdles, and too much variability in the coronavirus RNA thought to be responsible.

Hope I'm being clear. I woke up and decided to check the SARS news threads...haven't had much coffee yet.

[Judith Anne]

PS, I don't think that SARS targets a particular genetic group. I think all are vulnerable. I don't think there is any ethnic protection against SARS. This whole genetic immunity thing reminds me of some of the prejudices and superstitions people had during the plague epidemics.

When I read posts that say that "The US with its better-nourished, healthier, less vulnerable, cleaner population, and with its lead in health care and research, won't suffer as badly as poor rural ethnic Chinese from this illness," and stuff like that, I would almost laugh, if it weren't so grim.

The US western population has no guarantee of special immunity here.

[per loin]

I'd hope that with our advance warning we would be able to isolate and contain. But I see today two stories of youngsters having been to Toronto, and now possibly having SARS. The NJ case is only a suspect one, but the Florida case is a probable.

[Judith Anne]

I agree isolation is the best hope for containment. What is discouraging is the delay in the immune response and the number of likely false negatives in the testing. When you can diagnose ONLY by symptoms, then the lines are blurred as to who needs isolation and who doesn't, who is contagious and who isn't.

Patients and families have very little tolerance for isolation precautions, and this is a free country. What happens when a patient with SARS says "You can't keep me prisoner like this--I'm testing negative--I'm out of here--I'm going to a hospital that will let my wife (child, nurse with no jupiter suit) in here. You people aren't compassionate and caring. What ever happened to nursing ideals? You don't have respect for your patients."

Trust me on this, it's going to happen. And it will spread the disease.

[EternalHope]

Thanks for another outstanding article.

Any perspective on this from India, neither-nor?

[aristeides]

Why do you think there have been no SARS deaths in India?

[Dog Gone]

I'm coming to the conclusion that the SARS virus has already mutated into several different varieties. Toronto, Hong Kong, and Beijing have become hot zones because of the nasty strain they have. India and America may have a much milder strain.

The health director in Sinagpore pointed out yesterday that 20% of their fatalities were Indians, so the boneheaded belief of Indian authorities that they're somehow immune to SARS has been disproven.

[aristeides]

I think the report was about percentages of SARS cases -- not deaths -- in Singapore. Ethnic statistics for SARS fatalities are still not forthcoming, as far as I know.

[Dog Gone]

Well, darn, there goes that theory. But what's the doctor in this story complaining about, anyway? India was bragging yesterday that they had no SARS cases at all.

[dc-zoo]

Very knowledgeable and insightful posts. Its nice to have the perspective regarding sars from one involved in our health industry. I appreciate your commentary Judith Anne.

[Judith Anne]

I was talking to several other nurses today about SARS. One of them believes (really!) that the US will close the borders. I know I looked shocked when she said that, but I don't think she knew the reason--we can't do that, effectively. I didn't bother mentioning that I thought it wouldn't be possible; we have not just the north and south to consider--think of the coasts, for heaven's sake...

Another nurse thought there would be an epidemic here in the US. She and I agree...

[Judith Anne]

P. S. Thanks.

[dc-zoo]

You're quite welcome. Like you, I dread what may come this fall and hope to god it doesn't happen.