HYDERABAD: A day after 10 doctors of Gandhi Hospital and 22 in Kakatiya Medical College, Warangal
tested positive for Covid-19, 25 house surgeons and two PG doctors in Osmania Medical College tested positive on Monday.
Now, there is a growing concern among junior doctors and other government physicians and a demand to introduce week-on-week quarantine rules. The demand arises as the Omicron variant is highly infectious, breaking even the immune response generated by vaccines.
“The officials have not given any word on weekly quarantine for doctors but the need will soon be felt because doctors in a unit are testing positive en masse. It will keep increasing each week, making many unavailable for service at one go,” explained a doctor from Gandhi Hospital.
During the second wave, the doctors were given quarantine leave facility. But after cases dropped that facility was stopped. Currently, the government hospitals in the state have just 1,446 Covid-19 admissions but the fear is that post-Sankranti there would be a sharp rise.
“A five-day exposure is better than 10 days of continuous exposure. There is also a chance of PPE fatigue which can be overcome with weekly quarantine,” said another doctor. However, with limited staff, the hospital administration is also in a dilemma on whether or not to give such breaks. “Currently, there are no guidelines. If infections rise among healthcare workers it will be considered,” said a senior official.