Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Disease Hospital at Kingsway Camp being run by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation is gasping for breath. The hospital is not onlty short-staffed but lacks infrastructure to house patients visiting the hospital with various ailments.

The hospital caters to the patients afflicted with infectious diseases such as chicken pox, measles, mumps, diphtheria, gastroenteritis, requires medical staff on urgent basis to provide healthcare services to its patients. Due to the lack of the medical staff, patients for various infectious diseases are forced to stay in one  wards. This may lead to serious health ramifications as the infection may spread, said a doctor pleading anonymity. infections.

According to the medical staff, the hospital has an acute shortage of beds and health care staff. “Due to the lack of nurses, wards are closed and patients suffering from different infectious disease are packed in one single ward. like today (Tuesday) the gastroenteritis ward is closed, said the doctor. It will remained closed for few more days, the doctor added.

Four patients of mumps, diphtheria, cholera, gluten allergy and cough were accommodated in the same room. According to the medical staff working there, keeping such patients in same word can further lead to the more infection.

When contacted Dr Sunil Gupta, Medical Superintendent (MS) of the hospital, he said that gastroenteritis ward is closed due to construction work. However, the MS was oblivious of the fact that patients suffering from various infectious diseases have been kept in the same wad.

Earlier the hospital had the bed capacity of 270, now has been reduced to 160 which has resulted in untold miseries to the patients. “There are about 35 staff nurses in the hospital and a dozen nurses are on causal leave,” said a hospital staff.

With at least 80 patients still admitted in the hospital, most of the patients are advised to go to their homes because of the lack of healthcare facilities. One such patient, Ram Kishore , a labour  who had come for the treatment of his child suffering from herpes an infectious disease  was asked to go home. “My child is suffering from a contagious disease, but medical attendant told me go home” said Kishore. There were many such family members who were  turned away by the hospital administration as the hospital is facing acute shortage fo bed and para-medical staff to take care of them.