Medicos rue shortage of protective kits

PATNA: With suspected cases of

Covid-19

rising across the state, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff are facing a dire shortage of

Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE) kits, which include masks, gloves surgical gowns and eye gear to protect them from the virus.

The shortage of PPE kit has forced the doctors to opt for the normal mask and other medical supplies. Health workers rely on PPE to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others.

Dr Ravi Ram, a junior doctor at NMCH, who is suffering from fever and cough, complained that there was no PPE kit for doctors, who are treating Covid-19 suspects and patients. “We have sent a letter to the principal secretary of health department on Wedneday urging him to provide ventilator, PPE kit, isolation ward, hand-sanitizers and N95 masks at NMCH. Otherwise all doctors would get infected,” Dr Ravi told this newspaper on Tuesday.

He claimed that around 15 doctors and health staff at NMCH are on sick leave after they developed fever, cold and cough. They have quarantined themselves in their homes.

Dr Raman, who is the president of

Junior Doctors Association

, NMCH, said the doctors don’t need extra pay announced by chief minister Nitish Kumar, instead they are demanding health equipment.

The junior doctors at

Patna Medical College and Hospital

(PMCH) also complained of shortage of protective gears. One of the junior doctors said they were increasingly worried and doubtful that they could be expose not only themselves to the virus, but also their families and others.

A resident doctor at AIIMS, Patna, claimed that there were enough PPE kits, but they are facing shortage of N95 mask. “We need N95 mask for doctors treating patients at emergency ward, because there are chances that the suspected cases may be carrying the Covid-19 virus. The surgical mask won’t be effective to protect doctors from the virus,” the doctor said.

Sanjay Kumar, principal secretary of health department, told this newspaper that all necessary medical equipment are being made available to the hospitals. “It is an ongoing process and the medical equipment is consumable items. It cannot become a reason for evasion of duties,” he said, adding that doctors who are complaining of being sick, should give their samples for testing.