Bidhannagar Subdivisional Hospital superintendent Partha Pratim Guha has been drafted into the Covid-19 frontline. He has been deputed to MR Bangur Hospital to help out his counterpart in running the state’s biggest Covid hospital.
“I was called by DHS (director of health service) sir on April 20 and informed that I had been summoned for a briefing at Swasthya Bhavan. I received the deputation order on meeting the health secretary. I sought a day to hand over charge but was told that there was no time.”
Guha handed over charge of the subdivisional hospital in the next hour to assistant chief medical officer Swati Pramanick, picked up some clothes from his Sraboni Abasan home and checked into a New Alipore hotel, which has been his night shelter since then. By 5pm, he had joined MR Bangur Hospital.
Profile picture of Partha Pratim Guha’s Facebook account Partha Pratim Guha's Facebook account
“It has been very hectic. The first two days went in segregating SARI (severe acute respiratory infection) patients from Covid patients. We did that till 2.30am early on Wednesday. Of course, the isolation wards were already there on separate floors of the new building. That building has three wards now — two female and one male — exclusively with Covid patients. The SARI patients are all housed in the old building to prevent mixing.”
Now that mobile phones have been deemed by the government to be potential sources of infection, the Bangur authorities are trying alternative ways to connect patients to their families. “Within a day we arranged for GSM-based wireless phone sets, which are much like landlines. They are placed in the wards and in Rogi Sahayata Kendras and are being put on speaker phones, when the patient needs to speak. The numbers of the phone sets are also on display for the patients to pass on to their families for communication.” On Monday an order was placed to also organise daily video calls with patients. We have already started that with smartphones of nursing staff. Now dedicated tabs will be used for the purpose. It will be done in the morning in one building and in the evening in another. Each patient will be allowed to speak for about two minutes.” The authorities also plan to place TV sets with cable connections in each ward.
Getting to see loved ones, he feels, will cheer up patients. “There is a link between physical and mental well-being.”
Renewed emphasis is also being put on patients’ diet. “Covid patients need high nutrition food. We got special permission to double the volume of fish, egg and meat for them.”
Separate catering agencies have been appointed for hospital staff and patients. “The same agency was unable to cope. Now patients are happy with food.”
Home tense home
But worries loom on the homefront. “I sent my family to my in-laws’ place in Belur while I stay cooped up at the hotel. At least they will not get infected by me.”
His 11-year-old daughter saw him last on April 19. “She watches the news on TV and is old enough to understand the situation. No wonder she is very scared. But I hardly get to speak to them. My phone is constantly engaged. People seek information on their patients. I have to track pending reports of Covid tests sent to SSKM. The battery is perennially running out of charge.”
His wife has a medical condition for which she needs a high dose of a drug which has manifested some side effects. “But I am simply not being able to focus on that.”
In this tenure of a bit more than a week at MR Bangur, Guha’s best moment came on Monday when 10 Covid-19 patients were released. “Since I joined here, so many patients have never been discharged together. We held a mini celebration, with the nurses handing them flowers when they stepped out.”
