No personal safety kits, ambulance drivers handling Covid-19 patients threaten strike

The ambulance driver’s association of Noida has threatened to go on strike from Thursday if their drivers and other staffers involved in handling Covid-19 patients

The ambulance driver’s association of Noida has threatened to go on strike from Thursday if their drivers and other staffers involved in handling Covid-19 patients are not provided with proper safety kits. The association will meet the district magistrate and the chief medical officer (CMO) on Wednesday to convey their concerns.

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“We have been raising our concerns with the CMO and had met the former district magistrate as well. We were not even given masks and sanitisers while transporting Covid-19 patients. After meeting the CMO, about three personal protection kits, a few masks and sanitizers were provided to us, but these kits can’t be reused. The number of cases has been increasing in the district and we fear for our safety,” Pradeep Rana, president of ambulance driver’s association, Gautam Budh Nagar, said.

Each ambulance has a driver and an emergency medical technician while transporting a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 patients.

“Around 10 ambulances are being used for Covid-19 cases. One of our drivers and an emergency medical technician (EMT) from Badalpur has been put in isolation and their samples have been taken after they showed symptoms of the. In the past also, our concerns were ignored by the authorities and that’s why we have decided to go on a strike if our demands are ignored again,” Rana said.

The association has also demanded that they should be insured like the other government medical staff involved in handling Covid-19 patients.

“All doctors and medical staff handling coronavirus cases are getting a ₹50 lakh insurance. We are the first ones to come in contact with each patient. We should also be insured like the others. If our demands are not met on Wednesday, then from Thursday, we will go on strike,” Rana said.

Suhas LY, district magistrate, Gautam Budh Nagar, said, “I will meet the ambulance drivers and hear them out. We will address their grievances to ensure smooth handling of all cases. Their problems will be resolved and nobody will need to go on a strike.”

Additional chief medical officer Sunil Dohre said, “We had a meeting with the ambulance association and we assured them that their issues will be resolved. No service will be hampered.”