HYDERABAD: The health infrastructure, in terms of human resource, has taken a hit not only in hospitals and medical colleges, but also in the Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC). In Hyderabad district alone, a total of 11 UPHC staffers have tested positive for Covid-19.
This includes three Auxilary Nurse Midwives (ANM), three ASHA workers, two watchmen, two doctors and a supervisory staffer. Two of their family members have also tested positive. One of the Covid-affected UPHC doctor had been visiting several clusters across the district to shift patients, arrange ambulances and trace contacts.
The doctor is learnt to have visited hospitals, barber shops, local stores, along with police personnel, for Covid surveys. Speaking on the matter, Hyderabad DMHO Dr J Venkati said. “Whenever someone tests positive, we test all the other staff. Anyone closely associated with them are being quarantined,” said.
2 PG students of NIMS fall prey to Covid amid exams
Proving the fears of PG students across medical colleges right, two medicos, who had recently appeared for exams at NIMS, have fallen prey to Covid-19. These students had completed their theory exams by June 10 and tested positive for the virus by June 11 and 13, respectively. Now, the doctors are worried that they may be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. “The final-year PG students’ practical exams are scheduled for June 17 to 25. The risk of spreading is imminent and the students are stressed,” said a resident doctor. The students, however, want to complete the exams somehow
PG medico urges Guv to postpone exams
A Covid-infected PG medico at Osmania Medical College wrote to Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, requesting her to postpone their final-year exams, scheduled to begin from June 20, in view of doctors contracting the virus. The 29-year-old PG doctor was tested positive for Covid-19 on June 1. He said, “Like me, many of my colleagues who have tested positive for Covid-19, are struggling to prepare for exams due to our physical and mental state”
Civil society group writes to Eatala
A collective of about 45 civil society members from Hyderabad, including senior health professionals, public health administrators, teachers and activists, wrote an open letter to Health Minister Eatala Rajender expressing concern over the incident of a junior doctor getting beaten up in the Gandhi Hospital on June 10. They said, “Frontline workers deserve the administrative support of the government invaluable contribution to society in these difficult times”