Plight of Patients in Covid-19 Hospital Wards

Despite strenuous efforts made by the state administrations in India, lapses has been reported in management of COVID-19 wards in Government hospitals. Painful stories of dying patients in COVID-19 wards at the fag end of their life are extremely painful and distressing. Health attendance and services may further degrade from the current level with increase in number of COVID-19 patients in various States if urgent mitigation measures are not planned and implemented.

Most of the time patients on ventilators are sedated to ensure that ventilator setup is not disturbed by the patient. In many cases patient's hands and lags are tied with the bed if the patient is found to be agitated (not calm). Imagine a situations of a patient in Government COVID-19 ward, who gains consciousness at the middle of night - patient is feeling trusty or has etching in the back ! It is natural that the patient will get agitated as he/she neither can not speak / shout (intubated/ oxygen), nor can raise hand /lag (tied)!! Physical agony combined with mental agitation deteriorates patients conditions sharply and he/she may regret even their existence. This is not imagination but based on my personal experience where I was present in a specific situation in the hospital.

I understand and appreciate limitations of State run hospitals and I know that nothing much can be done as far as health service workers are concerned. But there are ways and means to enhance quality of service with same human resources and other limitation using modern technologies. Following are some of my suggestions for State run COVID-19 hospital.

1.      COVID-19 wards should be fully covered (all beds and nursing station) with Video surveillance and feed connected with the emergency room doctors 24*7.

2.      COVID-19 patients may be given a push-button taped on to the bed at location where patients hands are tied so as he/she can alert staff when needed. Push button should not only ring bell but also activate a “flashing light” on the top of bed. Alert flashing light will continue to flash till a staff personally comes to bed and reset acknowledgement button. Time between activation and deactivation of flashings alert would automatically recorded each time to determine time lag.

Video camera should be programmed to automatically turn and focus toward the “flashing light” to give closer look and details to emergency room docter.

3.      Allow patient’s video interaction with their relatives every day and SoS. This facility can be created any where outside or event at remote place. Relative should be informed to come at designated time and interact or just see their patients conditions in real time. Hospital may allow access to ward video camera to the relatives.

4.       Each COVID-19 bed should have dual sources of oxygen, available all the time in ready state.

COVID-19 has shattered preparedness at all levels in administrative hierarchies across the in each country across the globe and have inflected unimaginable damage to millions of families.

While researchers are working day-and-night toward COVID-19 vaccine, let emergency managers, health project planners and Hospital system join hands together to find-out ways ,as to how we can make COVID-19 patient’s journey through this dangerous disease smoother / less painful at home or in COVID-19 ward.