Doctors raise concern over shortage of protective gear
New Delhi: Raising the issue of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical staff at various hospitals have insisted that the government should take adequate measures to provide them with protective gear to fight the Covid-19 pandemic without any hassle.
Nurses at the Lok Nayak Hospital have even complained that though surgery ward has been converted to treat the infected patients, people who have tested negative have also been kept there. "It is quarantine and yet patients are interacting with each other, while patients whose reports have come negative are kept in the same ward. Meanwhile, we don't even have PPE to fight the pandemic," said a nurse from the hospital.
President of Delhi State Hospital's Nurses Union Thankamma Joy spoke to the correspondent regarding the issue adding that the state government needs to take into account the issue what the medical fraternity has been talking about.
"At least seven floors in the hospital have been converted for the Coronavirus patients.
Our nurses have been working round the clock but neither to do they have PPE nor any other way to protect themselves," she added.
Doctors have expressed the same anguish and have been requesting the government to provide them with PPE. "More than the thalis can we be please provided with PPE?" said Dr. Shruti on Twitter. The issue of PPE has been raised by almost each and every member in the medical fraternity. "Given the crisis that we are dealing with, it is important for the government to acknowledge this need of the doctors," said a senior doctor at a private hospital in Delhi.
Many have even taken to social media to express their disappointment. A resident doctor at Safdarjug Hospital also raised the issue. "There is a shortage of PPE supplies but on top of that they released an order a few weeks ago which stated that we're not allowed to be absent from our duties indefinitely," said the resident doctor.
The doctor added that the decision is inhuman considering how doctors are working round the clock and added that the staff also has to travel from faraway places. "Doctors and staff who live afar are having a terrible time trying to get to work with just a few designated buses running to the hospital," they added.
The lack of PPE can be catastrophic for the medical fraternity especially with almost eight doctors being tested positive with Covid-19. "We are looking at a major issue at hand and are not equipped to handle the situation. Hence, it is necessary that the administration takes this into account and provides doctors and other medical staff with PPE and N95 masks," said a doctor from a government hospital.
Meanwhile, doctors from various hospitals in the national Capital, where the members of Tablighi Jamaat are admitted, have complained to the Delhi government that those from the religious organisation undergoing treatment are not cooperating with the medical staff, sources said on Friday.
The doctors have also demanded enhanced security outside and within the hospitals where the Markaz evacuees have been admitted.
A doctor said some patients evacuated from Nizamuddin Markaz, the headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in south Delhi, don't follow instructions from doctors and are reluctant to take medicines.
Another senior doctor with the Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital recently complained to the Delhi government that the people brought from Nizamuddin Markaz are not cooperating with the medical staff.
