They want to take no chances, so doctors and nurses are pooling in their money to buy Covid-19 safety gear even as the country faces a shortage and supplies ordered from abroad get delayed.
Even as city hospitals have stocks of 2,903 personal protection equipment (PPE) and 39,481 N95 masks according to the health department, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has a strict protocol to distribute protective equipment according to risk exposure in all departments.
A high-risk zone includes the severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) section; Covid-19 sample and testing centres; the ICU/ critical care ward where aerosol generating procedures are done; clinical management in isolation); dead body packing (Covid or suspected Covid), and mortuary- performing autopsy. Safety gear provided in these areas includes N-95 masks, gloves, gown or coverall, goggles, head and shoe cover.
Moderate risk areas where only N95 masks are provided include the triage area in OPD, other patients in emergency and doctors’ chambers in the few functional OPDs. Triple layer mask and gloves are being provided in low-risk areas.
Money is being pooled by faculty members, senior residents, nurses and technical staff for N95 masks and gloves in departments for cardiology, radiology and others that don’t have any safety barriers.
{{/usCountry}}Money is being pooled by faculty members, senior residents, nurses and technical staff for N95 masks and gloves in departments for cardiology, radiology and others that don’t have any safety barriers.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Yashpaul Sharma, head, cardiology department, said, “Mortality among heart surgeons has been reported. Since we are working with patients who are reporting to hospital with cardiac issues we do not know if the person has Covid-19. So safety is important. The PGIMER protocol does not provide the requisite protective gear in wards and CCU.”
Dr Uttam Thakur of the Association of Resident Doctors, PGIMER, said they were also helping the hospital’s management stock PPEs.
“The supply is short. But dedicated Covid-19 hospitals are getting it. We along with administration are trying to procure good quality PPEs and masks which are in short supply. People are contacting us with donations which we are facilitating. The administration cannot be held responsible for shortage as they are also trying hard to overcome this,” Dr Thakur said.
Satyaveer Dagur, general secretary, Nurses Welfare Association at the institute, said they had procured around 60 PPEs and a few hundred masks.
“Since full PPEs are not provided in the emergency ward, we have given nurses PPEs to use when they have doubts regarding the status of patient. At least some protection is better than nothing,” he said.
HOW MUCH CAN THEY DONATE
A faculty member from the cardiology department can donate Rs 5,000, and a senior resident Rs 2,000, with Rs 1,000 fixed for nurses and technicians. Though PGIMER is accepting donations through its bank account as well as other material, there is no bar on the procurement of safety equipment by any healthcare worker.