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Health workers fighting pandemic rue lack of PPE kits
With Punjab witnessing rise in the Covid-19 cases daily, the health department staff in Bathinda on Monday complained of lack of personal protective equipment (PPE)
With Punjab witnessing rise in the Covid-19 cases daily, the health department staff in Bathinda on Monday complained of lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) in fight against the disease.
Talking to Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the medical and paramedical staff at the Bathinda civil hospital rued that even as they are risking their lives in the fight against the coronavirus, the lack of protective gear is exposing to the infection.
The minister talked to them after they were given guard of honour by the Punjab Police personnel as a mark of recognition of their work in fight against the pandemic.
The staff also demanded to set up a special quarantine centre for them in case they were to be isolated. Bathinda hasn’t reported any positive case of Covid-19 so far.
Manpreet said adequate availability of PPE will be ensured in a week by the state government at any cost.
“This is perhaps the first-ever guard of honour in India meant exclusively for the medical and paramedical professionals. It is meant for the bravest of the brave and the visiting dignitaries. I think everyone in the country will follow this practice of arranging a special guard of honour to express their appreciation and gratefulness,” he said.
Dr Gurmail Singh, district president of the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association, said PPE kits are available but the guidelines to use them are strict, exposing many employees to the risk.
Swaranjit Kaur, a staff nurse deployed at the hospital’s isolation ward, said, “We don’t even have N-95 masks. We are attending to the suspected patients with simple masks.”
A delegation of employees who met civil surgeon Dr Amrik Singh for setting up a separate quarantine centre for staff raised slogans against him when they were not satisfied with his response.
The civil surgeon claimed they have sufficient PPE kits to be used as per the state government guidelines. On the demand for setting up separate quarantine centre for staff he said that issue has been taken up with the higher-ups.
