NEW DELHI: At a time when hospitals are increasingly seeing doctors falling sick as well to the COVID surge, 5,000 youths trained as 'health assistants' by the Delhi government last year to fight the pandemic are still awaiting to start their assignments.
"Why is the government delaying giving us an opportunity to perform our duties in hospitals at this hour when the city hospitals are in need of help and doctors are getting infections?" said Vikram Singh, who did the course for Health Assistants at the Dr BSA Medical College and Hospital.
"The government prepared us to assist the doctors and we are ready for the job also. But there is no word from it yet. The COVID cases are rising and to avoid worsening situations, the CM should immediately issue orders to appoint us for the duties wherever needed," he said.
A group of these trained personnel plans to write to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after requests to ministers have not borne any results. Back on June 16 last year, Kejriwal had announced that the Delhi government would train 5,000 youths as "health assistants" to prepare for a possible third wave in the city.
Under the plan, 5000 youths underwent two weeks training by Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University at nine medical institutes in Delhi.
When this correspondent contacted a course coordinator, Kapil from Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, he said, "We have not received any information in this regard." Principal Secretary (Health) Manisha Saxena did not respond to any calls or text messages made by this correspondent.
Giving details of the training, health assistants said they attended sessions comprising 50 students each last July and a majority of them completed their training by October end. Practical classes were held for one week followed by theoretical for another week.
After the course ended, the workforce was to work as assistants to doctors and nurses but without being given the sanction to make medical decisions themselves. But now, these youths are unable to grasp why they have not been contacted yet.