Karnataka: More Covid-19 deaths at night in Haveri district

HAVERI: An expert committee, constituted to assess reasons for the high fatality rate in Haveri district, has found more Covid-19 patients died in the night perhas due to doctors shirking duties.
The experts found that due to a lack of monitoring by doctors on night shift, many serious patients died, especially at the Haveri district hospital. The report says, very often during the night, “doctors do not enter the Covid ward and patients are advised by junior doctors and staff nurses from the ward entrance”.
The committee comprises Dr Basavaraj Kallapur and Dr Ishwar Hasbi of Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Hubballi, and Dr Sampathsing Rangawale, a senior specialist.They had submitted their report recently.
Experts said another reason for the high number of deaths is the unsatisfactory process of identifying symptomatic patients. This led to delays in shifting patients to Covid Care Centres or hospitals for timely treatment. “Patients were not admitted to ICUs or put on ventilators even though were available in the government hospitals,” the report said. Lack of death audits was another reason.
Private doctors at fault too
The committee also lambasted private doctors, saying many deaths occurred during the second wave “due to incomplete treatment”.
The report said private doctors did not refer seriously ill patients to bigger hospitals on time and they did not follow protocol while treating Covid-19 patients.
The committee also found that private doctors did not refer suspected Covid-19 patients for swab tests regularly enough.
The committee said 87 patients were referred from private facilities to the district hospital when the disease was in the late stages, and some 50 patients had directly approached the district hospital when their oxygen saturation was less than 30%, indicating poor field activity.
“This is one reason for the high fatality rate in the Haveri district,” the report said.
Private hospitals have refuted the findings.
“We followed all protocols while treating patients,” said Dr Ravikumar Malladad, president, IMA, Haveri unit.
“There is no question of private doctors not treating patients without test reports. The department should conduct a training programme for private doctors on what they should when treating Covid patients.”
"We have received the report by the committee of experts. The government will adopt their suggestions to curb deaths and will initiate action against those who have failed to discharge their duty," Dr KV Trilok Chandra, commissioner, health and family welfare department.