In view of the dip in influenza A (H1N1) patients, private and public hospitals are either shutting down isolation wards or using beds reserved for H1N1 cases to accommodate other patients.

Doctors at one public hospital are seeking permission to use the isolation ward to accommodate the increasing number of malaria and dengue patients.

P D Hinduja Hospital in Mahim that had offered 16 beds (eight for suspected and eight for confirmed H1N1 patients) and Holy Spirit Hospital in Chakala that had offered four beds each for suspected and confirmed cases, have shut their isolation facilities as they have not been receiving patients.

“We have a huge demand for beds. The isolation facility is hardly being used. Ever since we started it, we hardly got two to three patients on an average in the 16-bed ward. The hospital wanted to help the government in the time of crisis but now incidence (H1N1) is going down. The number of diabetes, cardiac and gangrene patients waiting for treatment forced us to shut the ward,” said Dr Gustad Davar, director of medical services Hinduja hospital. Dr Davar said that only 20 percent of the ward was utilized and added that if there is another crisis, they would resume the facilities.

Meanwhile, doctors at the state-run St George Hospital near CST have written to the medical superintendent to be allowed to use the 10 beds reserved for H1N1 cases for patients in the medical ward.  

In August, when swine flu had peaked, representatives of private hospitals had approached the state health department and offered isolation wards. The state later gave them a Qualitative Requirements (QR) list to check whether they comply and 14 private hospitals were approved by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

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