Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima (NHAK) has described reports of mould-infested face masks and 13-year-old personal protective equipments (PPEs) being given to nurses as false.
Interacting with newsmen here on Thursday, NHAK’s senior doctor and press information officer Dr. Sendimeren clarified that these masks and PPE were supplied to the hospital for use during mock drills. These were given to bridge the gap as the supply got delayed from the Central government and there was the need to be ready for any situation, he explained, adding the PPE kits were supplied during the outbreak of HINI flu.
“And since then, the hospital was carrying out mock drills and conducting trainings with these equipments. These have been stocked basically for those purpose,” he explained.
Dr. Sendimeren said 67 beds at NHAK were kept ready for COVID-19 cases, of which 44 were meant for male and 23 for female patients. He said, if required, more wards were kept on standby, adding there were 20 beds in ICU for severe cases and nine ventilators.
He said all doctors and nurses, who would be on duty to attend COVID-19 patients, would be quarantined for 14 days at Meriema and then quarantined again for 14 days at their homes. They would be staying at the hospital premises till their duty rooster was over, he specified.
When asked about the standard of PPEs, the senior doctor claimed the ones with BSI code were of the finest quality. But since there was a huge shortage of PPEs worldwide now, the government had to procure all kinds of PPEs, he explained, adding some of the items received thus far had the BSI code. He said the health workers would wear double or triple layers of the suits.
He said there would be only one entry and exit point at the hospital the moment any COVID-19 positive patient was admitted and police personnel would be on duty 24×7.
The doctor mentioned that the hospital authority was in touch with Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) for burial of bodies, in case they were not claimed by family members, besides burying used PPE kits and hazmat suits. The hospital was also in close contact with the administration for ensuring safety in the neighbourhood of the hospital.
He said setting up of BSL-3 lab at the hospital was already under process.
Stating that the State government had assured to send more PPE kits and other safety gears once NHAK utilized 50% of the stock, Dr. Sendimeren claimed that the hospital currently had 2,055 PPE kits, 1,100 N95 masks, 2,600 FFP masks, 12,300 triple layer masks and sufficient quantities of hand sanitisers and other essential items needed at this time. A separate laundry room to wash clothes of patients too had been kept ready, he added.
Dr G Thong of NHAK, who too was present, said an action plan had been prepared by the hospital authority and that an emergency operational centre (EOC) for COVID-19 too had been set up. Headed by NHAK managing director Thorhusie Katiry as incident commander, the centre has hospital’s medical superintendent Dr. Visaseiu Kire as liaison officer.
Commenting on the April 10 directive of the State government that restricted hospital-based staff from entering government offices and encouraged use if electronic means of communication, Dr Sendimeren said he was surprised and wondered if Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department treated government health workers in such a manner, how would other departments treat them.
He said a combined protest letter had been submitted to the department and the authorities had promised to look into the matter. He alleged that some health workers who lived in rented houses were being asked by owners to vacate their premises, where some people in colonies were not allowing them to enter.