Representatives of the the United Medical and Health Employees Union affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) drew the attention of Minister for Health and Family Welfare A. Kali Krishna Srinivas to the threats they are facing while on COVID duties.

In a letter to Mr. Srinivas, union honorary president A.V. Nageswara Rao said several staff, including lab technicians, ANMs, staff nurses, have been contracting COVID and some of them have even succumbed to the disease.

He said 10s of paramedical staff tested positive and are under isolation at present.

To avoid further infections, the government should ensure lab technicians work only for 14 days at a stretch and undergo quarantine for an equal number of days.

Shift-wise duties

The strength of staff should be increased and more safety equipment should be provided, he said.

He sought shift-wise duties to all the staff in the department.

The union leader said the frontline staffers should be tested frequently and the test results be released immediately. He asked the department to set up an online grievance cell to understand the problems at the ground level.