Hyderabad: Members of the Central team from New Delhi are unhappy with the unsanitary conditions in the disaster ward at the Gandhi Hospital and the inability of the nursing staff to handle H1N1 patients.

On Thursday, the team questioned the nurses about the precautions they should take while treating the patients and did not get satisfactory answers. The team also pointed out that the inaccurate manner in which the nurses had worn masks and their inability to prevent themselves from getting infected.

When they observed the case sheets of the patients, they pointed out discrepancies in the medical records and asked that they be maintained properly. A source at the hospital said, “The staff nurses are very scared of getting close to H1N1 patients hence they are sending college students to take care of them.

These students do not have proper information and were not properly briefed. This caused the commotion. The doctors in the hospital have been particularly asked to spread awareness about hygiene among the nurses, class IV employees and educate them on how to take care of themselves as well as the patients.”

The Central team comprising additional director-general of health Ashok Kumar, additional director of National Centre for Disease Control Shashi Khare and officer for Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Pradeep Khasnobis, checked the minutest details in the swine flu ward.

The isolation method in Gandhi Hospital was also criticised as there are only 12 cubicles and the rest of the patients are kept separately in another ward. The need is to ensure proper space between the patients if the infection is to be controlled.

The meeting with principal secretary Subhash Chandra was very courteous and the team told the state government to create awareness among the people about the disease by distributing pamphlets, putting up posters and also ensuring adequate supply of medicines in hospitals.