Covid-19: ‘Not worried about virus, but government apathy,’ say AIIMS healthcare workers
Over 206 healthcare workers have tested positive at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
by Scroll StaffThe doctors association at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi said that it is not the coronavirus that worries healthcare workers, but the apathy of the government and the hospital administration, News18 reported on Friday.
As many as 11 healthcare workers, including two resident doctors, tested positive for the coronavirus at AIIMS on Friday. This takes the total number of infections in the hospital to 206.
General Secretary of the Resident Doctors’ Association, AIIMS-New Delhi, Dr Srinivas Rajkumar T said that if the attitude of the authorities did not change then it would affect the strength of the hospital. “If this continues, we will be short of HCWs [health care workers] to treat patients,” Srinivas said. “Since March, we have been writing and fighting for the safety of hostel premises, poor sanitation, lack of proper quarantine protocol and need for adequate testing.”
While the main complex of AIIMS has been admitting any Covid-19 patients, the Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre has been turned into a designated coronavirus facility, according to the New Indian Express reported.
The doctor also said that lack of good quality N95 masks and other components of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers has been a major issue. “The N95 masks do not meet even MoHFW [Ministry of Health and Family Welfare] safety standards, forget international standards,” Srinivas said. “Our relentless pursuit of resident welfare has been met with threats from administration and attempts to jeopardise the career of RDA [Resident Doctors’ Association] executives by the administration.”
Earlier this week, AIIMS sanitation chief, who had tested positive for the coronavirus, died. “Another corona warrior sacrifices his life in service of the country,” Srinivas had said. Last week, a mess worker had died of the Covid-19 infection. Healthcare workers in their position are reportedly only given gloves and masks to protect themselves from the virus.
Delhi reported 1,106 new coronavirus cases on Friday. The Capital’s tally is now 17,386, and the infection has killed 398 people.