• The ICU has been temporarily closed after a doctor and staff members contracted the virus

By Ranjith Rajapaksa – Hatton 

The doctors and the staff of Dickoya Base Hospital said that the COVID-19 ward in the hospital has reached its maximum capacity with daily admissions of COVID-19 patients.  

They said that COVID-19 patients who are critical were reported from estate areas in Hatton, Bagawantalawa, Norwood, Maskeliya, Nallathanniya, Samimale, Norton Bridge and the quarantine centre in Mora estate in Bagawantalawa are admitted to Dickoya Hospital. The Intensive Care Unit has been temporarily closed after a doctor and several staff members of the unit have contracted the virus. The ward separated for COVID-19 patients has facilities enough for 15 patients, they added. They also said most patients coming to get treatment for sudden illnesses on whom random rapid antigen tests were conducted had tested positive. “Given that, infected people are lying on the hospital floors and there is shortage of oxygen in hospital stores. Three deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 on 19 May. We made a request to the Hospital Director to build another ward for COVID-19 patients with all the facilities in the hospital as patients are reported in large numbers from estates but he has not responded. As a result, the patients have become helpless and doctors, nurses and junior staff members are at risk of contracting the virus”, they said.