No COVID-19 patient is being treated in Casualty, Emergency Ward of SMHS: Principal GMC

Srinagar, Apr 21 : The administration of GMC, Srinagar and SMHS Hospital has strongly refuted the allegations that COVID patients are being kept in Emergency of SMHS Hospital, Srinagar.

Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, Principal Samia Rashid said that the institute has a dedicated COVID hospital at Chest Diseases Hospital, Srinagar and all highly suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases are admitted there.

However, she said Respiratory Clinics have been established at major hospitals including SMHS Hospital Srinagar where a person is screened and sent either to CD hospital directly or to an isolation facility within SMHS.

In a series of tweets, Dr Samia said at this trying time, the last thing doctors need is pressure to compose answers when they should be attending to the pandemic around them. “Support doctors, empathise and kindly refrain from engaging with sensational news items,” she said.

She said it is important to note that CD hospital is currently exclusively treating COVID positive patients. “It is the primary facility with other hospitals, including SMHS, having designated respiratory clinics for testing. In the specific case of SMHS we have added another layer,” she added.

Dr Samia said that another facility at paid rooms’ area with medical ICU (MICU) and each having separate toilet-washroom is established to cater to patients with lower respiratory tract infections with co-morbidities wherein sampling for testing of such cases for COVID is also done.

Besides, the growing number of cases with acute respiratory illnesses, a medical emergency ward in Casualty Block has been dedicated for cases having influenza like illnesses (ILI) or Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) where they are also tested for COVID-19 infection along with other investigations and has a separate toilet within the ward, she said.

She said as on date all such patients have been tested negative, adding any patient highly suspicion of COVID-19 is referred to CD Hospital Srinagar at the time of arrival in Emergency of SMHS Hospital.

Dr Samia said such patients having acute respiratory infections cannot be shifted directly to CD Hospital, Srinagar as there is a risk of coming in contact with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.