BENGALURU: A doctor at the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, Bengaluru, had raised an alarm about faulty PPE kits and shortage of N95 masks, but her concerns were ignored by the hospital administration. Now, the doctor herself tested positive on Thursday, according to her relative. Taking note of this, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha brought the issue to the attention on Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on Twitter. Tagging the minister, the MP tweeted, “For your information and I feel, it is a genuine concern.” “Amulya Gowda treated Covid patients at KIMS.
Last week, she raised an alarm about faulty PPE kits and shortage of N95 masks but the administrative medical officer at KIMS chastised her and since then she has been buying her own N95 masks. On Thursday, she tested positive. She appealed to the hospital authorities and raised her genuine concerns but she was harassed again” the her cousin Bhargav Gowda said on Facebook.
“This isn’t about my sister, many doctors at KIMS and doctors all around the country are facing harsh backlash from the management and government officials...We, as a system, have failed the doctors,” he says in the post. Dr D H Ashwath Narayana, medical superintendent, KIMS, however, denied the allegations of faulty PPE kits and shortage of N95 masks.
He said that doctors, nurses and ward boys wear PPE kits in the Covid ward of the hospital where coronavirus patients are treated. “We have got governmentapproved standard quality PPE kits and FFP standard N95 masks. World over, healthcare workers are getting infected and they blame authorities when it happens. Some of them also privately practise and may have been infected there or from anywhere else outside, as is the case with Covid patients. Despite using PPEs, doctors can sometimes get infected and that may not be the fault of the PPE kits. ,” Dr Ashwathnarayan stressed.