Leaves of Delhi govt hospital employees cancelled as Covid cases rise

The shortage of staff is likely to be more acute if the five-day institutional isolation is mandated for everybody who tests positive, including those with mild or no symptoms of the infection.

The Delhi government’s health department has directed all hospitals and medical institutions under it to recall their employees, who are currently on leave, and report for duty immediately.

A shortage of staff in the hospitals was reported as one of the main reasons by the medical directors of bigger Delhi government hospitals for their inability to expand intensive care unit services for Covid-19 patients. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

The order was issued by the special secretary of the health department, SM Ali on Friday. The official in his order said that leave of any kind would only be granted under “most compelling circumstances”.

A shortage of staff in the hospitals was reported as one of the main reasons by the medical directors of bigger Delhi government hospitals for their inability to expand intensive care unit services for Covid-19 patients. To combat the challenges in the hospitals, the government on Thursday ordered that the final year student pursuing their MD/MS/ DNB (post graduate medical training) and final year students of undergraduate and post graduate nursing would be hired for the next six months.

The shortage of staff is likely to be more acute if the five-day institutional isolation is mandated for everybody who tests positive, including those with mild or no symptoms of the infection.

Currently, at least 10,000 patients are under home isolation in the city.

Until Thursday night, Delhi recorded 53116 Covid-19 cases. At least 2035 have died of the coronavirus disease.