Doctors seek quality safety gear for health workers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Negating the claim of the government that health workers in the state have adequate stock of personal protective equipment (PPE) to fight Covid- 19, the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) says that PPE is running out of stock in most of the health institutions. In a representation to the Chief Minister, the association said that scarcity of PPE, including N95 masks is at the peripheral level (primary health centre and community health centre) itself.

The association alleged that at some hospitals safety gear that do not meet the required specifications are being supplied. “At out-patient wings of PHCs and CHCs, it is desirable to wear N95 masks. But such masks are not available there. Even three-layered masks are in short supply. Now health professionals are forced to wear two-layered masks.

This puts them at risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2,” said Dr G S Vijayakrishnan, general secretary, KGMOA. It has been highlighted that in some institutions, the frontline staff are provided with either two-layered masks or cloth masks instead of N95 masks or three-layered masks. In some cases, masks which look like N95 but do not have the required quality is being provided.