Fish carts transported patients to Chennai hospitals

Fish carts and two wheelers were the mode of transport for patients to reach hospitals during past three days, said an official.

The hospital also received patients from several other hospitals affected by flood and power cut, N. Sathyabhama, diector of medical services and quality-southern region at Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd., said on Friday.

"Some patients came by fish cart. One was brought by her brother on the bike as that was the only means of navigation through the heavily flooded Greams Lane (where the hospital is located)," Sathyabhama told IANS.

The chain of Apollo Hospitals in and around the city did not shift any of its patients to other hospitals, while the group had received 36 patients from other hospitals, she said.

Chennai and its suburbs were battered by record rains for the past one month.

With the raising water levels in the reservoirs and the inflow increasing, surplus water was let into Adyar river and other water bodies resulting in flooding of the city and suburbs.

She said there was no power supply for 57 hours in one block and 69 hours in another and the situation was managed with generators.

As safety measure the electricity power was cut for couple of days in Chennai and suburbs.

"We prioritised the patients care. Only emergency procedures and lifesaving angioplasties were done. Preference was given to the critical areas," Sathyabhama said.

According to the official, partial power supply from the state owned utility was restored on Friday.

The government Royapettah Hospital and Sri Ramachandra Hospitals also got patients from the hospitals affected by flood and power cut.

Royapettah Hospital got 23 patients from other hospitals in flood affected areas, a senior official at the hospital told IANS.

According to Tamil Nadu health secretary J. Radhakrishnan, MIOT Hospital located in Chennai had shifted 196 patients to other hospitals.

Fourteen patients in MIOT's intensive care unit (ICU) died between December 2 and 3 due the lack of power supply.

The heaviest rains in the century and the resultant floods have left at least 325 people dead in Tamil Nadu.