Naga Hospital Authority Kohima finally resumes normal healthcare services

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 21 (EMN): Citizens of Kohima heaved a sigh of relief as Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) resumed its normal health services on Monday.

The government of Nagaland had earlier made an announcement to designate the NHAK as a Covid-19 hospital in view of the outbreak of the Novel coronavirus.

After six months since the nationwide lockdown began, NHAK has fully operationalised its OPD and IPD services after thorough sanitisation of the facility by the medical personnel.

Speaking to Eastern Mirror, Dr. Thorhusie Katiry, the managing director of NHAK, said that around 50-60 patients turned up for treatment on Monday.

The hospital has been making hectic preparations for resumption of its services for almost a week. A “massive social work” was conducted on September 19 where all the hospital staff and employees were involved, said Katiry.

“We washed and sanitised all the rooms, cabins, the operation theatre etc.,” he said, adding that “we have to go systematically, as per the protocol”.

Acknowledging the plight of the patients, especially from the economically weaker section, the doctor said that they were “all eagerly waiting” for the hospital to resume its full services.

“We were not expecting the turnout to be around 50-60 since we opened only today,” Katiry shared.

According to him, the NHAK was “stigmatised because of Covid” but the number of patients on the first day of reopening was a positive indicator.

When queried if any of the patients were admitted on the first day, he informed that three women with pregnancy cases came. After examination, they were asked to visit the facility on Tuesday, following which they will be admitted, he said.

All the patients on the first day were from Kohima district, the doctor informed.

According to Katiry, the major concern was to not mix Covid-19 patients with non-Covid patients while they were planning and preparing to roll back the normal activities.

As such, the isolation ward of the facility was necessitated to segregate the Covid-19 patients after the wards were “renovated and proper infrastructure and equipments” were put in place.

There are currently 10 Covid-19 patients, all symptomatic cases, who are “completely segregated” and their facility fenced, he informed.

Earlier, the regular isolation wards were mainly designated for patients with HIV and Aids, and tuberculosis-related cases. Asked about the wards reserved for those patients now, Katiry replied that they could be accommodated in the general wards for time being; keeping in mind that HIV/Aids is not infectious like Covid-19.