NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has decided to consider a 14-day shift for medical staff treating COVID-19 patients followed by a 14-day quarantine period to minimise the chances of infection in the healthcare providers.
“It is decided to run the COVID-19 designated hospitals and medical teams at quarantine facilities in two shifts of 10 hours (8 am to 6 pm) and 14 hours (6 pm to 8 am). Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff would work for 14 days continuously followed by 14 days break. Doctors, nurses and paramedical staff will be provided accommodation during the entire period by the hospitals,” said the order issued by the state health department.
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“The shifts are long. The format for each team should have been 6-6-12 hour work shifts (three consecutive days). Fixed working hours followed by adequate quarantine will help in containing the spread of the virus... This will also provide adequate rest to healthcare professionals. We hope that similar work shifts and quarantine schedules are uniformly implemented at all hospitals in the country,” said Dr Shivaji Dev Burman, president, Federation of Resident Doctors Association.
The Delhi government is also working on creating three dedicated hospitals for tackling such cases. Lok Nayak Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital are already in the process of being transformed into dedicated COVID-19 facilities.
The state government has decided that doctors, who are on the frontline fighting the virus will be quarantined at the Lalit, a five-star hotel in the national capital. According to the health department’s directions all doctors working at Lok Nayak and Guru Tegh Bahadur hospitals will be housed at the hotel.
“Doctors on COVID-19 duty at the hospitals will be provided accommodation at the Hotel Lalit and payment for the same shall be borne by the Delhi government,” the order, approved by the Health Minister, said.
The New Delhi District Magistrate has been directed that 100 rooms are made available at the luxury hotel. The order comes days after a Mohalla Clinic doctor tested positive for COVID-19.