Resident doctors at the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital (JNMCH) of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have threatened to go on strike from Friday if the administration does not urgently provide N95 masks and other personal protective equipment to the front-line workers amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are working with inadequate safety accessories and the number of patients in the outpatient department is growing,” said Hamza Malik, president of Resident Doctors’ Association, JNMCH. “We requested the university authorities last week to provide us N95 masks but we have been told they are out of stock. The ordinary surgical mask is not secure in case of testing a person who may be infected with the COVID-19,” Dr. Malik added.
JNMCH is one of the sample collection and testing centres for COVID-19 in Uttar Pradesh. “We have received 35 samples so far. Thirty-four have been found negative and one from Agra was found positive and was sent to King George’s Medical College, Lucknow,” Dr. Malik told The Hindu .
‘Anxiety increased’
He said anxiety among the doctors had intensified after a junior resident of KGMC tested positive for COVID-19. “It has been found that he got infected while collecting an oral swab... Similarly, in Kerala, a doctor treating a patient got infected. Both are said to be young and without any other complications. In such a scenario, it is important to take necessary precautions. Otherwise, we will be forced to go into self-quarantine from Friday. 10 a.m,” he added.
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Dr. Malik further demanded that like other hospitals, the OPDs should either be closed or the number of working hours should be reduced. “Only an OPD for flu patients should continue for a few days,” he said. Right now, he added, the security staff does not have infrared thermometers to check and isolate patients with a high fever. “We have been told one thermometer has been bought,” he noted.
