PPEs on, nurses, staff return to start pvt hospital OPDs

Nagpur: Unlock-1 is bringing life back to normal for many. Private hospitals have opened their out patient departments (OPDs) and planned surgeries are now being conducted routinely.
This is helped by the fact that most private hospitals in Nagpur rely on local nurses and technical staff, unlike nurses from Kerala in other metro cities. So, hospitals in city are not facing any crunch of nursing or technical staff at least for now.
“We neither discontinued any staff nor introduced any pay cuts during lockdown. We are working at the same strength. For about two months, we had only emergency cases. Now, everything is coming to normal. So, we have enough staff to deal with patients,” said Dr Sameer Paltewar of Meditrina Hospitals.
He said PPE kits are also available at competitive prices in markets now. “Unlike during lockdown, we have enough PPE kits available in open markets. Protective gear gives a sense of safety and encourages people to get back to work,” he said.
Vidarbha Hospital Association chairman Dr Ashok Arbat said nurses, attendants and technicians, who had either discontinued or resigned due to Covid-19 fear, are coming back and joining duties.
“Stigma for Covid-19 is receding at least for medical staffers. Earlier, family members of many staffers working on contract basis were reluctant to send them to hospitals. As the lockdown is now over, many of them are coming back,” said Dr Arbat. He observed, though, city hospitals are still not getting the number of patients they used to during normal days.
“Many hospitals beds are still vacant. In Nagpur, private hospitals are treating all non-Covid patients, but not many people are turning up at OPDs. Secondly, patients from other states are not coming to Nagpur due to travel restrictions. So, many hospitals have introduced alternate day working for staffers,” Dr Arbat said.
Workers, on the other hand, are excited to join back their jobs. “During lockdown 1 and 2, family members aggressively opposed us, so many of us had to discontinue working. Police also used to stop and ask for identity card, which many of us don’t have. So, many had stopped working,” said Ajay Bagde, an attendant in a local hospital. Ajay has joined back at work from June 1.
Why no shortage in Nagpur
Local strength| Hospitals in Nagpur rely mostly on local nursing/technical staff (not from Kerala)
Need to work| Local people are joining back their duties in unlock-1 as everyone wants to work
Living with Corona| Stigma about Covid-19 is now receding at least in hospital staff
Sense of security| PPE kits and masks are now available in open market at competitive prices
Less workload| other state patients are still not coming in regular numbers, many hospitals are vacant