NEW DELHI: The COVID-19 curve has shown no signs of flattening in Delhi, with the most worrying trend being an increasing number of doctors and healthcare staff getting infected.
More than 250 healthcare workers, including doctors, in Delhi, are reported to have tested positive and about 25 hospitals, both private and government, have reported their healthcare workers getting infected.
A majority of these hospitals are not designated for COVID-19 treatment.
Expressing concern over the situation, the Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association of India had written to Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday seeking a separate treatment facility for healthcare providers.
“Many doctors have tested positive for COVID-19 at multiple hospitals recently and the list is ever-growing. Soon the situation might get out of control and it will be very difficult to maintain the healthcare services...designate a separate hospital for COVID-19 positive doctors and other staff on an urgent basis,” the federation wrote. It is yet to get a response.
“Lack of availability of proper PPE kits and masks remains a major concern. Many hospitals assumed that COVID-19 cases will be coming only to the designated ones and therefore no kits were provided to healthcare staff. It is obvious that any virus carrier with symptoms may not always go to the designated hospital and instead visit the nearest one. The administrations should have been prepared for such situations,” noted a senior doctor from one of the COVID-19-affected hospitals.
Another doctor said even in designated hospitals, PPE kits were initially provided only to those involved in the treatment of Covid patients.
“Rest of us continued to function in a normal manner. Another problem is that many patients are asymptomatic. And this becomes a cycle – patients infecting doctors and doctors infecting other patients,” the doctor said.
On Monday, Max Hospital in Patparganj said 33 of its staffs had tested positive.
The highest number of cases has been reported from Babu Jagjivan Ram Hospital, a non-designated facility in Jahangirpuri, where 75 people have tested positive so far.
Delhi State Cancer Institute, another State-run and non-designated hospital, was among the first ones to report doctors and staff testing positive.
Cases in Designated COVID-19 hospitals
Among designated hospitals, cases of health workers testing positive have been reported at Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College, LNJP and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.