Dr Taha Mateen’s Message for Other Doctors in Bengaluru Goes Viral

A video of Dr Taha Mateen from Bangalore sending across an urgent message to all doctors is going viral for all the right reasons. 

In the video, Dr Mateen who is the MD at HBS Hospital (Shivajinagar) has expressed that while there are plenty of ventilators, oxygen cylinders, and beds, there are very few doctors in the hospitals to cater to the patients. 

He has also spoken about the ordeal of doctors and nurses who are already working in the hospital for 18 hours a day. 

“I have beds, oxygen beds, ventilators, but no doctors to handle patients.” A doctor from HBS Hospital, #Bengaluru appeals for help from healthcare professionals. #Covid_19@IndianExpress @ralpharakal pic.twitter.com/qrycoX9UTf— Express Bengaluru (@IEBengaluru) July 5, 2020

In the video, he said, “Patients are continuously calling me, because their fathers are breathless, their daughters are breathless, their brothers are breathless, and they cannot find a [hospital] room in Bangalore.” He added, “And at this time, you see me, there is one Mr Shiva here...and there is no other doctor willing to come and work in this hospital at this time.”

He fervently complained that all doctors are spending time on Whatsapp instead of being at the hospital. 

He further expressed, “Sometimes, the Army is at the frontline...sometimes the police is at the frontline, right now, you and I, my fellow doctors are on the frontline. Let us show that we care for humanity here...”

The doctor told ‘The Times of India’ that his hospital once had 44 doctors and 20 nurses albeit now they are left with just 5 doctors and 12 nurses. At present, there are 80 beds in the hospitals however they cannot admit any more patients due to lack of staff. 

The hospital has eight patients with severe acute respiratory infection while six patients are in the intensive care unit. 

According to Mehdi Kaleen who is a volunteer at Mercy Mission which is an NGO associated  with the hospital said that they would prefer experienced doctors however they are even prepared to train junior doctors and MBBS graduates. 

It was commendable of Dr Taha Mateen to raise this issue of shortage of doctors as well as coerce other doctors to come forward and perform their duties. 

The good news is that six doctors have come forward to lend their services however the current requirement is of 48 doctors. We only hope that the requirement is fulfilled as soon as possible to save precious human lives in this hour of dire crisis.