Government doctors asks for safety gears instead of double salary

Objecting to the decision of giving double salary to doctors handling Covid-19 cases in isolation wards, intensive care units (ICUs) and those handling samples,

Objecting to the decision of giving double salary to doctors handling Covid-19 cases in isolation wards, intensive care units (ICUs) and those handling samples, the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMSA), on Thursday, wrote to the state’s director-general of health services, stating that instead of increasing the salary they should be provided with safety gears, such as N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE), along with free treatment to doctors, if detected with SARS-CoV2 virus while being on duty. The decision to increase the salary of doctors was announced by chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar last week.

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According to the association, they are ready to work without double salary but not without proper safety gears like N95 masks and PPE kits. Dr MP Singh, vice president, HCMSA, said, “Giving benefits to only a few demoralises other doctors of the state who are directly or indirectly handling Covid-19 cases in vulnerable situations. It includes those who are doing the screening, active field surveillance, attending people in quarantine centres, flu corners, emergency and post-mortem departments. The state government should treat us equal.”

He said that doctors posted in isolation wards, ICUs and for taking samples from Covid-19 cases are using PPE kits as they know they are dealing with Covid-19 patients. But other doctors who are stationed in emergency rooms, OPDs, flu corners and surveillance are on the higher risk because they don’t know whether the patient they are attending to is Covid-19 positive or not.

“In many districts, doctors have complained that they are attending patients without safety gears such as N95 masks and PPE kits,” said Singh.

Resident doctors in ESIC hospital in Faridabad have been silently protesting against the lack of PPE by wearing black bands and continuing with their service. Talking to HT, one of the resident doctors said, “We have been demanding PPE kits for a long time after Covid-19 patients started coming in. Today, we are handling patients, symptomatic or asymptomatic without proper N95 mask. Still, we are doing our jobs.”

Dr Suraj Bhan Kamboj, director-general of health services, said, “We all are providing safety gear to doctors. Besides, the double salary decision has been taken by the government.” He refused to comment on the issue.

Till now, 214 cases have been reported in the state, of which 147 are undergoing treatment while 64 have been discharged. Maximum cases have been reported from Palwal, Nuh, Faridabad and Gurugram. On Thursday, the state government included 14 Italian tourists, who had undergone treatment in Gurugram, in the Covid-19 list from the state.