Dealing with respiratory illnesses, isolation, and homesickness, 14 women in the COVID-19 ward at Bowring hospital have been showering in cold water for almost a week now.
A 54-year-old patient could not bathe for five days since her admission due to lack of a geyser in the ward.
Adding to the woes is the lack of a functional faucet in the toilet. The patient also complained to her husband that food was not provided to her on time. She said breakfast is being served at 10 am, lunch at 2.30 pm and dinner at 10 pm.
Shivashankar (59), the patient’s husband, who is quarantined at his home in the Sunkenahalli ward in Basavanagudi, said: “My wife was taken to Bowring hospital on Tuesday and she says she hasn’t taken a bath for five days now because there is no hot water in the washroom and the weather is not conducive for a cold bath.”
He continued: “Nearly 14 women have to use the same toilet where even the faucet doesn’t work. The food is not given on time. I am ready to take her to a private hospital and bear all the expenses. Why isn’t the government facilitating COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals?
“I am helpless because I’m her primary contact and have been quarantined at home. The timings followed for food are no way to treat a patient.”
As of Thursday, the health department had still not finalised the rates for COVID-19 treatment at private hospitals.
Other metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai have already finalised the rates and patients are availing themselves of treatment at private hospitals.
Dr Srikanth H M, an orthopaedic surgeon at Bowring hospital who oversees the food arrangements, said: “We were overwhelmed by the sudden spike in cases and increased patients coming to the hospital over the past few days. We have 10 ICU patients and 137 general ward patients. The general ward patients are housed 14 each in a ward. The food containers must be brought separately in a lift that needs to be sanitised. Hence the delay.”
“Plumbers don’t come forward to fix faucets in COVID toilets as they have to wear PPE kits and be sent inside. There was no geyser in one ward’s toilet because the wall was damp, but the women are free to use the washroom in another ward. We have shifted that patient to a single room now,” he added.