Some patients awaiting surgery at the Sasoon General Hospital will have to wait longer, as all operations have been postponed after their blood tests showed they were suffering from leptospirosis.
Patients and members of Sassoone Bachao Samiti said that the disease is caused by rat’s urine and further alleged that this could be a result of unhygienic conditions at the hospital.u00a0
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The patients were admitted at the Infosys building of the hospital a few a days ago for treatment of various other ailments and problems. Before conducting surgery, the doctors found the patients had high temperature, after which they took blood samples for testing and found that it was being caused by leptospirosis.
u00a0“There is a rat problem in many places at Sassoon. The hospital is short of staff and the current number is not sufficient to ensure proper precautions. Currently, the city is facing severe water shortage and Sassoon is no exception. Due to inadequate water supply, hygiene could not be maintained. The hospital management should take serious steps to improve conditions at the hospital,” Dr Sanjay Dabhade, member of Sassoon Bachao Samiti, said.u00a0
Hospital officials have appointed a five-members committee to conduct an in-depth enquiry into the matter and their report is expected today. u00a0“We will have a better picture after the committee submits its report. This disease can be caused by polluted water and hospital officials may not be responsible for it. I think we should not arrive at any conclusion until the report arrives,” Dr D B Kadam, head of Medicine Department said, Dr D G Kulkarni, superintendent of Sasoon Hospital said that all patients showing infection were admitted on the third floor.
“The patients affected by Leptospirosis were admitted at the third floor of Infosys building. There is no possibility for rats to reach that part of the building. The committee will find the exact reason, which could not be related to the hospital,” Kulkarni said.