Gross negligence by the Byculla Railway Hospital Management to deal with suspected cases

The prerequisite arrangements of special desk, trained Doctors, Nurses and other staff with special medical apparatus and PPEs are unavailable to deal with suspected Corona cases

Mumbai: Gross negligence of Byculla Railway Hospital management of Central Railway to deal with presently suspected Covid19 cases. A representation given to Principal CMD/CR by Com. Venu P. Nair, General Secretary, National Railway Mazdoor Union on 4th April’20

He writes, this has the reference of a correspondence this union had with you wherein several lapses noticed in the preparedness of CORONA ward being developed by Byculla hospital were brought to your notice and constructive suggestions were also given to incorporate in its project before commissioning.

It is very regretful to appraise you that neither the lapses pointed out by this union have addressed positively nor the suggestions put forwarded by this union have considered in its true spirit which caused perhaps an irreparable disastrous outcome expected further to admission of two suspected Covid19 cases at Byculla.

Union pointed out few very relevant questions and said that needs specific clarification from the administration to pacify the panic stricken nurses and other paramedical staff who were booked and likely to be deployed in the CORNA ward since admission of suspected CORONA cases have already been done without any prerequisite protocols and arrangements are put in place.

Why a suspected case of female Railway patient from CLA aged 52 has been given admission at Byculla hospital in the wee hours of 4.4.2020 when the case has been identified by CMS Kalyan as corona case and has routed through Kasturba and JRH hospital which has been nominated as corona isolation ward facilitated hospital.

If this patient is identified as non-corona management patient, why she was forcefully admitted to a ward which is declared as corona ward instead of sending her back to JRH hospital.

Why the prerequisite arrangements of special desk, trained Doctor, Nurse and other staff with special medical apparatus & PPEs were unavailable to deal with such suspected cases.

Why the patient has kept in an open ward whereas the protocol prescribed by MoH is to keep suspected patient in quarantine in separate single room till positive confirmation of the case.

Why it took almost six hours for arrival of Doctor to take the swab of patient and sent it for testing.

Why another patient, the husband of a DMO at Byculla hospital, has been admitted to the same open ward who approached the hospital with symptoms of Corona.

Why the traveling history of Dr. Upasana and her husband has not been considered before admission of the patient and their recorded contacts has not been intimated to state health and welfare departments for necessary action.

Why separate rooms are NOT arranged to admit suspected Corona cases and to keep them isolated from positive patients who are shifted to wards.

Why availability of inhouse Doctors are NOT ensured in three shifts exclusively to take care of Corona cases.

Why specially trained nurses and other paramedics are NOT ensured and nursing station are provided at Corona isolation ward.

Why all the prerequisites of sufficient medical equipments such as PPEs, ventilators, treatment monitoring apparatus, masks, gloves sanitizers etc are NOT yet provided in isolation ward.

Why the Doctors, Nurses and other paramedics has NOT been provided separate accommodation either at hospital or at other suitable places to have their bath, change of dresses, sanitisation and even stay as per their requirements and options.

From the above it is clear that Byculla Rly hospital was not at all equipped enough to have admission of a suspected or confirmed Corona patients.

The haste decision taken by the hospital management which amounts heavy negligence and gross dereliction of duty would probably endanger the life of not few but numerous others.

In the backdrop of the above, the union shares the concern expressed by the staff working at Railway hospital and urged to reciprocate to the same with a detailed deliberation which will make the morale of the staff high and intact to deal the crisis in a much more committed and dedicated manner, said GS/NRMU Com. Venu P Nair.

PCMD/MD/Byculla didn’t responded but a clarifications given to Union through PCPO/CR on 05.04.2020

Patient was referred to JRH only but since they did not admit she was admitted in Byculla Railway Hospital.

All suspected cases are to be admitted in isolation ward for corona. After discussion patient has been transferred to JRH on 5th April 2020 morning.

All staff who attended this pt and also likely to attend in future are trained. Required PPEs were available in isolation ward and casualty.

No separate rooms available. Protocol also states pt can be kept in open wards.

Patient was admitted at around 3 AM. There was no such urgency to call the metropolis technician at that time. Sample was taken in the morning. Time of taking sample has no bearing on the treatment of the case.

Since it is isolation ward for corona, husband of one our own doctor suspected of having corona like symptoms was admitted in the same ward and not in any special room. That patient was discharged at night once only the 1st test report came negative.

There was no history of international travel. (They were returned on the same day lockdown started from Delhi that hidden in the reply).

No positive cases will be admitted in Byculla isolation ward. Now even suspected cases will go to JRH.

Doctors are available in shifts to take care. Proper roster has been made.

All staff working in isolation ward are trained.

Sufficient number of PPEs, masks and gloves are made available in isolation ward. Except ventilators all other required equipments are available. Purchase Order for ventilators issued should be available very shortly.

Seperate accommodation was planned earlier but since BAMH is declared non-Covid19, the idea is not relevant now.

As per reliable sources, all above points of reply by the administration are false and baseless because there were no proper arrangements even till date.

Another representation given by GS/NRMU Com. Venu P. Nair on revelation of a case of repeated negligence of Central Railway hospital management PCMD/PCPO/CR

See what’s happening in Central Railway Zonal Hospital at Byculla

Patient D.O.A: 11/04/2020

Patient was admitted with Complaints of Fever, Cough, breathing difficulty. Nursing Staff Informed Doctor on call regarding Covid19 symptoms. But doctor adamantly admitted the patient in Male Medical Ward (Ward 2) along with Nephrology and Cancer patients.

On 13/04/2020 As symptoms aggregate patient was shifted to Jagjeevan Ram Hospital (JRH) as Covid19 Suspect.

On 15/ 04/2020 at 12.45 am he was confirmed Covid19 positive.

NRMU Suggested:

Almost 20% staff is in primary contact (without any PPE) and 70% (Without any PPE) of hospital staff is secondary contact. So following action should be initiated immediately.

All relative of Ward 2 is exposed to the patient.

Quarantine of all primary and secondary contact.

Evacuation of hospital (new building) and sterilization.

Immediate implement 50/50 staff policy.

Inform BMC for further action immediately.

An ACHD/C.Rly posted at CSMT HQ and his wife detected as Corona suspected. The ‘E’ block of Nirmal Park Railway Officer’s Colony sealed yesterday night at 2.30 am.
Situation very grim as Doctor was also going to hospital some times and many Doctors of Byculla Railway hospital will be quarantined besides the colony people who were in contact with him.

Please be safe and strictly stay indoor.

GS/NRMU sent a message

GS/NRMU Venu P. Nair sent this message to PCMD/MD/PCPO/CR on 06.04.2020 morning after the message of the female earlier admitted in Byculla Railway hospital confirmed positive of Covid19 as under-

“Patient primarily came to casualty on 4/03/2020. So, All casualty staff including Doctors, Nurses, Group D staff should be quarantined. All staff in isolation ward should be quarantined. Then all person came in touch with these staff (casualty + isolation) should be quarantined. For this we should record track history of primary contacts i.e 1. all person at casualty when patient was recieved 2. All person working in isolation ward”.

He also pointed-

Between the beds there is no enough space to keep distancing by nurses and doctors.

No ventilators or any other assisting organ functional monitoring systems.

No ward nurse station.

No Doctor to take care of patients 24×7.

No seperate Corona patient assistance desk, staff, PPEs sanitising materials.

Now they can say that this is not a corona ward. Then why they admitted a corona patient here? And if it is Corona ward why they shifted her to JRH later? It is a mess.

A lady patient confirmed as CORONA POSITIVE aged 55yrs and died. She was wife of a ex-railway employee.

Patient movement

3/04/2020, 10.30 pm: Patient shifted to Kasturba hospital from Kalyan Railway hospital

4/04/2020 1.30 am: Patient reached JRH, Mumbai Central, WR.

3.30 am: Patient reached Byculla Railway hospital.

5.00 am: Patient Admitted in open isolation ward by Dr. Sushma Matey.

Learnt that that lady expired at JRH in the same night.

The matter of fact is that whether the suspected cases, quarantined cases and death cases involved with Railway hospitals are reported to state health department? It’s seems doubtful.

👆 CORONA ward at Central Railway Zonal Hospital at Byculla that was trying to develop and left halfway after JRH hospital nominated as a Corona management ward.

👆पश्चिम और मध्य रेलवे के अधिकारियों की नींद अब लगता है कि खुली है। दि.08.04.20 को जेआरएच में एक सहयोगी मीटिंग हुई और कुछ मसलों पर विचार विमर्श किया गया। मीटिंग की ये मिनट्स से ही पता चलता है कि जो कोविद मरीज गुजर गए थे, उनकी अंतिम क्रिया कहां कैसे करनी थी, इसकी कोई जानकारी उन्हें नही थी। यही नहीं, अब भी इस सिलसिले को निपटने हेतु कोई स्पष्ट दिशा-निर्देश विस्तार से नहीं बनाए गए हैं। इससे यह भी पता चलता है कि जेआरएच को कोरोना केअर हॉस्पिटल घोषित करने का कोई पत्र अब तक रेलवे बोर्ड या केंद्रीय गृह/स्वास्थ मंत्रालय द्वारा जारी नहीं किया गया है।