KINS Desk
Srinagar, March 26 (KINS): Doctors and nurses of Kashmir are not only facing tough times to treat coronavairus patients but their families and neighbours also prefer to stay away from them fearing they might get infected.
With coronavirus taking a heavy tool across the world, doctors, nurses, and paramedics are susceptible to catch virus in absence of personal protective equipment (PPE). Even their families prefer to stay away from them fearing they might get infected.
“When I come back from duty I take a bath in washroom out of my house. I am endangering my family because not wearing protective gear. Even N95 masks and sanitizers are not available for doctors and nurses who are working in the ICUs,” a nurse working in one of the associated hospitals of Government Medical College Srinagar told KINS.
A doctor of SMHS Hospital Srinagar said his relatives and neighbours prefer to stay away from him.
“As we have to treat patients, there is a fear among families of doctors that we may bring home coronavirus and they too might get infected. Even my three-year-old son has not hugged me for last one week,” the doctor said.
He said government has failed to provide PPE to doctors and other medical staff, which is mandatory under present circumstances.
A PPE kit consists of specialised clothing and devices — disposable masks, gowns, hoods, gloves, shoe covers, face shields and protective goggles — and must be worn by healthcare providers dealing with infectious diseases.
“Doctors have to treat patients but we have to protect ourselves first. We too have families who are distancing away from us as doctors are susceptible to catch virus in absence of protective gear,” he told KINS.
Another doctor who works in ICU in the same hospital said they fear without working in N95 marks. “There are no adequate numbers of masks in hospitals for the staff,” he said.
He said several doctors have been quarantined after coming in contact with coronavirus patients as former were not wearing proper protective gear.
At least seven doctors of various hospitals who had seen a coronavirus patient from Hyderpora Srinagar were quarantined. Earlier, two female doctors were put under observation when they complained of fever and running following contacting with suspected cases of coronavirus.
Doctors in various hospitals where coronavirus patients or suspected COVID-19 cases are admitted have also sought hostel accommodation fearing their families might get infected.
Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) President Dr Suhail Naik said extra PPEs are even required for transporting deceased bodies and doing there last rites.
“Fighting Covid-19 in hospitals the basic weapon is PPE. If God’s forbid system will fall short of PPE, it can result in collapse of services provided by frontline health workers and subsequently panic and chaos in society,” he said.
DAK has also sent a letter to Baseer Ahmad Khan, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in which they said Kashmir lacked “proper and adequate personnel protection gear especially N95 Masks, PVC coated gowns, goggles and other equipments”.
The doctors’ body cautioned the administration that there was a “looming threat that the coronavirus would engulf the Valley.”
“We appeal your good self to kindly make arrangements to supply protective gear for the doctors, nurses and other paramedical and supportive staff, so that they work without any apprehensions in health facilities,” the letter reads.
Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar Dr Samia Rashid claimed that doctors were wearing protection gears.(KINS)
