HYDERABAD: Telangana too has not been exempt from the country wide issue of lack of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). As Gandhi Hospital gets accredited as a Level-III COVID-19 treatment centre, doctors, nurses and sanitation workers fear for their health as they have no access to PPE.
Additionally, doctors from Gandhi Hospital working in and around the coronavirus isolation and treatment ward have claimed that sanitation and disinfection works that should be conducted at least four times a day, is being conducted only once or twice.
Speaking to Express, Dr Nagarjuna, a neurosurgeon in Gandhi Hospital and member of the Telangana Junior Doctors Association said, "Gandhi Hospital is the primary treatment centre for most of the Coronavirus patients. At this rate, all the doctors, nurses and sanitation workers in the entire hospital require PPE, not just the people working in the coronavirus wards. If not the full gear, at least N95 masks need to be provided."
He further added, “Additionally, the other patients and their attendees are also at a massive risk. These are poor, often illiterate people who can neither afford sanitiser nor understand the importance of washing hands. The hospital needs to be disinfected at least four times a day, and there should be hand sanitizers for patients across the hospital.”
The situation is similar in Osmania General Hospital, Niloufer Hospital and NIMS. NIMS Junior Doctors Association (JUDA) has written to the Health Minister for an extra 3,000 PPE kits as new COVID-19 isolation wards are all set to be opened at NIMS.