A day after doctors in Hyderabad express concerns over many post-graduate (PG) doctors testing positive for SARS-COV-2, the Director of Medical Education on Thursday issued a circular asking the hospital administration to divide the PG doctors, interns, paramedical and outsourced employees engaged in patient care to be divided into two batches. The two batches will work on a rotational basis and will be sent for a seven-day period quarantine after their duty is over. The batch on duty should also work in shifts and ensure that no patient suffers.
Leaves during this period will not be permitted in view of the crisis. “If any staff member develops symptoms, immediately he or she should be isolated and tested. If found positive for coronavirus, they should be sent for treatment and replacement should come from the quarantine pool or staff,” the circular reads.
On Thursday, the Junior Doctors’ Association and Resident Doctors’ Association had a meeting with Health Minister Eatala Rajender over the concerns of several PG doctors, who are the frontline workers, being infected with the coronavirus. The doctors had stressed that the policy of rotational shifts should be implemented and also asked him to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits to all the doctors, including those working in outpatient (OP) wards and elective surgeries, to avoid exposure to the virus.
Meanwhile, according to the junior doctors, at least 40 PG medicos from Osmania Medical College have tested positive for coronavirus, as of Thursday. However, these numbers are not official.
Doctors say that the source of infection is a mess worker. “It is a mess worker from whom several PG students contracted the virus,” said a source.
The source expressing concerns about the safety of the patients at Osmania General Hospital said that the hospital has reached its saturation point, and it is practically impossible to maintain the health protocol of physical distance.
Dr Vijayender, former chairman of Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association, observed that the government should immediately open the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), a makeshift facility established to tackle COVID-19 crisis.
“As Gandhi Hospital has been dedicated solely for COVID-19 cases, there is a lot of pressure on Osmania General Hospital as all the cases are being shifted there. This is resulting in overcrowding. And physical distancing is becoming impossible. So the government should open TIMS,” he said. According to the government, TIMS has a 1500-bed capacity, with 750 general beds and 750 speciality beds.