Don't play with lives, say nursing bodies

New Delhi: Nursing bodies on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of a Delhi government decision to train 5,000 youths as health assistants to prepare for a possible third COVID-19 wave, saying it would be playing with the lives of people.

They asked why the government couldn't hire more nurses or nursing orderlies instead of such inexperienced assistants.

CM Arvind Kejriwal had announced on Wednesday that the government would train 5,000 youths as health assistants as part of preparations for the potential third COVID-19 wave. They will assist nurses and doctors in case the need arises.

These health assistants or community nursing assistants will be imparted two weeks' training in basic nursing, lifecare, first aid home care, sample collection and handling oxygen concentrators and cylinders. The training will start from June 28 in batches of 500 candidates, he had said.

Delhi Nurses Union president B L Sharma said even when a hospital hires nursing staff on a contractual basis, the minimum qualification is a diploma.

"In a three-year diploma course, the students spend one year learning about human anatomy. A 14-day training is just ridiculous. Even ANMs (auxiliary nurse midwives) undergo one-year training," he said. "The Delhi government is playing with the lives of people. This move can be counterproductive and can lead

to more deaths," he said. Sharma said the government wants to show that the city has enough healthcare staff to deal with the pandemic.

"They should have started building such a workforce last year only. The system doesn't recognise 'jholachhap' (quack) doctors. They don't get professional training but they have years of experience in the field.

"These quacks are any day better than such volunteers," he said.