Junior doctors at Osmania General Hospital are on the edge after a 55-year-old woman who underwent treatment there tested positive for COVID-19. They have requested the authorities to provide Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in all units where there is risk of getting exposed to a person carrying coronavirus. The hospital authorities claimed that they are providing protective gear to those at risk.
A 55-year-old woman from Shadnagar, who was admitted at the hospital with throat pain on April 1, died a day later. Swab samples collected from her tested positive for coronavirus. At least five junior doctors (post-graduates) and one technician who got exposed to the patient are under quarantine at home. Initially, Telangana Health Department officials scrambled to know the source of infection as the woman did not have travel history or contact with a COVID-19 positive patient. Later, Health Minister Eatala Rajender said that she met some people who have returned from Delhi.
Junior doctors from the hospital said that if any similar case gets admitted, more healthcare professionals might get exposed which will lead to reduction in work force at hospitals. “Besides, our families will be at risk if we are asymptomatic carriers of the virus. We want to work. But our situation is like to soldiers without weapons,” said a junior doctor.
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They said that the PPEs have to be provided to those working in Casualty Section, Acute Medical Care (AMC). “Only one PPE per General Medicine PG is provided for one shift (over 15 hours in night) at AMC. We have to change it whenever we go to washrooms, or have food. Since only one PPE is provided, we hold back ourselves from going to washrooms. Besides, the gear is not given to PGs from Nephrology, Cardiology, Anaesthesia departments,” the junior doctor said. They might submit a representation to officials in the Health Department in this regard.
The hospital’s superintendent B Nagender said that they are following standing orders. “The PPEs are given to all those working in AMC, Emergency section, Isolation Wards and Intermediate Medical Care units. As per the orders, the PGs from Nephrology or other specialities are provided with the protective gear if there is any suspected case, but not for routine patients. The suspected patient has to be shifted to Isolation Ward,” Dr Nagender said.