BENGALURU: Straitjacketed in their Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for 6-7 hours, doctors and nurses treating Covid-19 patients in government hospitals in Bengaluru are avoiding drinking water and washrooms. They use adult diapers since they cannot wear their suits a second time.
Global standards limit usage of one set of PPE to 6-7 hours. In Karnataka — as in the rest of the country — doctors and nurses are under pressure to conserve resources because of PPE scarcity.
Thick-material PPE, which covers the personnel from head to toes and includes gloves, causes excessive sweating in hospitals as ACs and fans remain switched off to prevent the virus from spreading. Some personnel have started suffering from hyperhidrosis, a skin condition caused by excessive sweating in hands, health workers TOI spoke to said.
The government is aware of the problem. “There is a global shortage of PPE. We have enough stock and the government has initiated steps for further procurement. We know it’s tough for the medical practitioners to wear PPE. There is no choice,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, commissioner, health and family welfare department, admitting that a PPE cannot be used for more than 6-7 hours.
‘Doctors, nurses are no less than soldiers’
PPE-related issues are bound to occur. Not drinking water is not the solution. They can use adult diapers, instead. Motivating healthcare staff is the need of the hour now. They are being counselled before and after work,” said a senior doctor treating Covid-19 cases since March 9.
Many nurses and doctors have been complaining of fatigue, dehydration and headaches. In some hospitals, they work for 14 days nonstop and undergo a Covid-19 test. Once they test negative, they are under 14-day home quarantine. Some hospitals have reduced the working window to seven days, followed by the 14-day quarantine break.
Hospitals like KC General which are grappling with staff shortage are giving their doctors no break.
“Some personnel have cited excuses to skip work. A soldier on the border can’t cite an excuse. A doctor or a nurse treating a Covid-19 case is no less than a soldier. Those who are unwell have to rest and return to work once they are fine,” said a senior doctor at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, who is working without a break.
At the Trauma Care Centre on Victoria Hospital campus, a 100-bed facility has been set up for Covid-19 patients and it already has
22. The situation is no different at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, the nodal Covid-19 centre since January which has 15 beds for Covid-19 cases.
Global standards limit usage of one set of PPE to 6-7 hours. In Karnataka — as in the rest of the country — doctors and nurses are under pressure to conserve resources because of PPE scarcity.
Thick-material PPE, which covers the personnel from head to toes and includes gloves, causes excessive sweating in hospitals as ACs and fans remain switched off to prevent the virus from spreading. Some personnel have started suffering from hyperhidrosis, a skin condition caused by excessive sweating in hands, health workers TOI spoke to said.
The government is aware of the problem. “There is a global shortage of PPE. We have enough stock and the government has initiated steps for further procurement. We know it’s tough for the medical practitioners to wear PPE. There is no choice,” said Pankaj Kumar Pandey, commissioner, health and family welfare department, admitting that a PPE cannot be used for more than 6-7 hours.
‘Doctors, nurses are no less than soldiers’
PPE-related issues are bound to occur. Not drinking water is not the solution. They can use adult diapers, instead. Motivating healthcare staff is the need of the hour now. They are being counselled before and after work,” said a senior doctor treating Covid-19 cases since March 9.
Many nurses and doctors have been complaining of fatigue, dehydration and headaches. In some hospitals, they work for 14 days nonstop and undergo a Covid-19 test. Once they test negative, they are under 14-day home quarantine. Some hospitals have reduced the working window to seven days, followed by the 14-day quarantine break.
Hospitals like KC General which are grappling with staff shortage are giving their doctors no break.
“Some personnel have cited excuses to skip work. A soldier on the border can’t cite an excuse. A doctor or a nurse treating a Covid-19 case is no less than a soldier. Those who are unwell have to rest and return to work once they are fine,” said a senior doctor at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, who is working without a break.
At the Trauma Care Centre on Victoria Hospital campus, a 100-bed facility has been set up for Covid-19 patients and it already has
22. The situation is no different at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, the nodal Covid-19 centre since January which has 15 beds for Covid-19 cases.
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