In a video clip that has been shared widely, Puducherry’s Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao was seen cleaning a toilet in a COVID-19 ward at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) in Puducherry reportedly following complaints from patients.
Dressed in a white hazmat suit, wearing a face mask and a face shield, the Minister is seen picking up a cleaning brush and then proceeds to scrub the surface of the toilet. While cleaning, he says, “It can be done, can it not?” People, who could be staff members of the hospital, are seen standing behind him, trying to take the brush and cleaning it themselves.
Puducherry’s Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao cleans toilet at a COVID ward in govt hospital following complaints from patients @thenewsminute pic.twitter.com/atUm41qaUm
— Anjana Shekar (@AnjanaShekar) August 30, 2020
The Minister, who was inspecting COVID wards at the hospital, received complaints from patients of the unclean toilets when he proceeded to act. While a total of 75 patients are undergoing treatment at the ward, maintenance, even though done three times a day, has been a challenge in the hospital, with a shortage of sanitary personnel.
Puducherry has been grappling with a shortage of doctors and nurses in the government hospitals to treat the patients admitted with complaints of COVID-19. The government has moved to appoint about 458 health workers which include doctors, nurses, sanitary workers among other personnel on a contract basis.
On Saturday, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi gave her nod to the Department of Health and Family Welfare to engage on contract basis health professionals, including doctors, to tackle the current COVID-19 pandemic situation in the Union Territory. The Health Minister then informed that 80 nurses are expected to report to duty on August 30 and by next weekend, the government hopes to have the required manpower in place.
Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president and the former Speaker of the Puducherry assembly AV Subramanian tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday and has been advised home quarantine.
The Union Territory presently has 4,834 patients undergoing treatment at hospitals and under home quarantine. On Saturday, 550 new admissions were reported of which 434 were from Puducherry, 70 from Yanam, 43 from Karaikal and three from Mahe. So far, 211 patients have succumbed to COVID-19 in Puducherry.
(With inputs from PTI)