BENGALURU: Doctors in the Out Patient Department section of Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) say they are scared about contracting Covid-19 as they are working without PPE kits. The emergency, casualty and staff in the Covid- 19 ward are however given PPE kits. Three of the staff have already tested positive. “We have children coming in with fever, cold and cough, who are screened in the OPD and then shifted to the Covid-19 suspect ward. If they test positive they are shifted to a designated hospital.
We are not denying admission to anyone but we need to keep ourselves safe,” said a doctor seeking anonymity. The OPD staff — be it doctors, nurses, group D workers — wear only N95 masks. Moreover, with change in quarantine rules, the doctors end up working without observing a period of self-isolation. Owing to shortage of staff, the earlier quarantine period of 14 days has been relaxed.
“New ICMR guidelines said that those doctors who are wearing PPE kits and test negative need not quarantine themselves. But what about those without PPE kits?” the doctor asked. With insufficient quarantine rooms, doctors are at times asked to go into home quarantine, thereby risking their family. However, Dr Sanjay KS, director of IGICH, denied that there is any shortage of PPE kits.
“Those who are on Covid-19 duty in the ward are given PPEs. Those in OPDs do not require them and wear surgical gloves and masks which is sufficient. The casualty and emergency section staff also wear PPEs,” Dr Sanjay said.