The United Nurses Association’s National Capital Region Chapter (UNA-NCR) and Public Services International (PSI) on Wednesday said that they were concerned at the “spiralling” number of health workers testing positive for COVID-19 in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
They also wrote a letter to the Delhi government “demanding a change of course towards a precautionary approach to this worrying situation”.
“Hospitals are enraging as hubs of infection, at least 223 health workers have already tested positive in Delhi and more than 400 are on quarantine, most of them am nurses. If this continues, who will take care of the patients when they need it as many alas are unable to work?” said Joldin Francis, UNA NCR General Secretary.
The letter also demanded that the government should institute an empowered task force, that includes medical professionals including nurses’ unions in the public and private sector.
“In view of the fact that COVID-19 carriers are also asymptomatic, health workers dealing need to protected and be provided with appropriate PPE as if all patients were -suspected COVID-19 cases. The Government should provide all health care workers with PPE in public hospitals and ensure that there are also provided in private hospitals. That is their right in law,” said Anand Grover, senior advocate and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.
