COVID-19 lands psychiatric patients in limbo
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 05 2020:
Following the opening of an isolation ward at RIMS exclusively for COVID-19 patients, psychiatric patients have been denied proper medical attention.
All the in-patients who were undergoing treatment in the psychiatric ward which has around 50 beds were discharged and an isolation ward was opened in the same ward exclusively for COVID-19 patients, sources informed.
The sources said that the COVID-19 pandemic has been creating tension, stress, strain and trauma to many people across the globe, and psychiatric patients are more vulnerable to such mental disorders.
Psychiatric patients need regular consultation with doctors during the pandemic.
As such, the psychiatric ward of RIMS should be opened round the clock, added the sources.
However, following the conversion of the psychiatric ward as COVID-19 isolation ward, psychiatric patients have been denied medical attention even if they need doctors' attention very badly.
Many psychiatric patients require monitoring round the clock and they should be given necessary medicines in time but they have been denied all these necessary services, said the sources.
The matter demands immediate attention of RIMS authority and urgent remedial measures otherwise it would turn out to be gross injustice to all psychiatric patients.
In addition to the psychiatric ward, authorities have been considering to convert radio therapy ward into COVID-19 isolation ward.
But many cancer patients have been undergoing treatment in the ward and this treatment is not something which can be skipped under any circumstance.
Asking if people suffering from critical health problems should not be admitted in RIMS just because an isolation ward has been opened exclusively for COVID-19 patients, the sources suggested that the new building of Nursing College which has no student at the moment can be used for treatment of COVID-19 patients.
No one has died of COVID-19 in the State so far.
Even if COVID-19 patients need ventilator, they can be transferred to places where there are ventilators, the sources added.