As reports of doctors and medics getting infected with Coronavirus spiralled, both the Centre and the Delhi government accelerated efforts to augment the supplies of medical equipment. On Wednesday, three doctors in the National Capital, one in Chandigarh, two nurses in Mumbai and one in Panchkula were among those who tested positive for the virus that has infected more than 1,600 people across the country including 150 in the National Capital. Officials of the health department had to close the outpatient clinic of the Delhi State Cancer Institute after a 35-yearold doctor working there tested positive. Still there is no cause for alarm as far as supply of medical equipment was concerned, insists the government.
On Wednesday, the Union Health Ministry said it was ensuring an upgrade in the domestic manufacturing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and enhancement of supplies to the states. “As far as PPEs are concerned, there was a problem in the beginning because the products had to be imported. Parallel to this, we are developing indigenous capabilities to manufacture them indigenously. And as per the revised guidelines [for procurement of PPES] we are trying to upgrade the manufacturing capacity which will be provided to states,” Union Health Ministry’s Joint Secretary, Luv Aggarwal said on Wednesday.
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
As positive cases of Coronavirus rise across the country, the safety of doctors and other paramedical staff has become a new headache for policy makers. Many doctors, battling the disease outbreak at the frontline, have expressed concerns over inadequate equipment. “We do not know what lies ahead. We need to be ahead of times. We have to be prepared for the community transmission stage,” said Dr Sunil Kumar of the Capital’s Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital.Dr Kumar interacted with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a video conference on Wednesday. Kejriwal admitted that there was a shortage of PPE kits and urged industrialists to come forward and pitch in by donating them, instead of money. “I am also working with the Centre. We need to get more PPE kits,” added the chief minister. A 32-year-old paediatrician posted at a Delhi government’s Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Hospital tested positive for Covid-19, health department officials said on Wednesday. The doctor became the sixth health professional in the Capital to get infected with Coronavirus. Last week, his wife, employed with the Biochemistry department of Safdarjung Hospital, had also tested positive for the disease
SC STEPS IN
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court sought a response from the Centre on a plea seeking directions for providing WHOgraded protective gear to doctors, nurses and medical staff treating Coronavirus patients across the country. On Monday, the Union Health Ministry had said that 3.34 lakh PPEs were available with hospitals. “In addition to the available PPEs, 60,000 PPEs have been procured and 10,000 donated by Red Cross,” the ministry said.
Doctors at the Delhi government’s Mohalla Clinics are also a worried lot after two of them at these primary health centres were infected by the disease. Some doctors continue to serve their patients despite their fears but some among Delhi’s 450 Mohalla Clinics have been reportedly closed in recent days with practitioners refusing to turn up. “277 Clinics were operational yesterday but some clinics remained closed today,” said Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain.
ON A WAR FOOTING
Earlier CM Arvind Kejriwal announced Rs 1 crore compensation for the families of health workers in the event that they die in the line of duty. “During a war, a soldier protects his country, risks his life…. our whole nation is indebted to them. Today, the job that you guys (health workers) are doing is no less than that of a soldier. You are risking your life to save people of this country,” he said. Fifteen medical staff members from the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital have been quarantined after they got exposed to a COVID-19 patient last week.
None of them have been declared positive so far. But the NCR isn’t an aberration: The fear of catching COVID-19 infection is growing in the fraternity of doctors and nurses, across the nation. On Wednesday, a Chandigarh-based doctor and a Panchkula-based nurse also tested positive for COVID-19 sending alarms bells ringing. “Yes the danger is imminent.
But we are taking necessary measure in future so that we can control the infection from patient to the doctors and nurses,” said Dr Jasjeet Kaur, Civil Surgeon Panchkula Civil hospital near Chandigarh. In Jammu and Kashmir too, doctors and paramedics said they are working in the face of a serious shortage of protective gear to combat the pandemic in the Union Territory, even as the number of cases crossed 62 on Wednesday.
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