Masks Shortage, Lack Of Training: What Hospital Staff Attending Covid-19 Patients Going Through
Since the beginning of this month when the Union Health Ministry announced that three new cases of coronavirus (Covid-19) have been confirmed in India, making the total number of cases till then to six, there is much confusion in the country over the outbreak.?
From what are the symptoms to what tests are to be done and where to get tested and how to seek medical help there was no clarity initially.But soon the Union Health Ministry came up with a list of hospitals in Delhi, both under the government and in the private sector which have isolation facilities and also increased the testing facilities.
On Thursday, the total number of Covid-19 cases in India reached 73. Over 1,500 people are under observation across India and a total of 10,57,506 passengers have been screened at airports.With the number of cases likely to go up in the coming days, the medical facility, even at the best hospitals, has been stretched to its maximum.While the doctors and nurses are expected to take care of the Covid-19 patients they are putting themselves in serious risk of contracting the virus.
The example from China where several doctors and nurses died after being infected is very much in front of us.?
Over the past week, Indiatimes spoke to six nurses, working in both government and private hospitals on how protected and informed they are. This includes senior nurses who are working with the hospitals listed by the government. Since they have requested anonymity, Indiatimes will not be revealing their names.
One thing all of them had stated is how non-prepared the hospitals were. Despite the hospitals claiming that their staff has been given special training to deal with patients in isolation wards, all of them said they have not even been briefed, let alone training.?
Another common factor that emerged out of the conversations is how exposed they are to the virus. The acute shortage of face masks which is the result of the panic around Covid-19 has hit hospitals and medical staff the hardest.
All of them said that there is a shortage of masks, including surgical masks and despite several requests, the protective gear is still a distant dream.One of them even narrated an incident where she saw doctors fighting over a mask, as the stock was very limited.?
Another nurse, who works with a government hospital where screenings are done said there is a lack of coordination and the number of those sent directly from hospitals is beyond what they can accommodate. Another issue, she said the hospital was facing is the lack of housekeeping staff.
According to her, the contractual staff were suddenly removed and they have not been replaced yet, leaving the hospital, including beds littered. This she said is causing panic among the paramedical staff about the possible spread of coronavirus or other infections.
