150 docs ready to join Covid fight still untapped

Pune: At least 150 young doctors, who can boost staff strength at facilities treating Covid-19 patients, have said they are ready to work, but haven't been approached by the local administration or hospitals in the city.
Covid-care facilities have increased the number of beds, but many have reported a severe shortage of trained medical staff.
These 150 doctors (all postgraduates) are members of the Academy of Physicians of India (API), the Indian Medical Association and other allied medical groups.
Sanjay Pathare, medical director of the Ruby Hall Clinic said, "We need 150 nurses and 40 doctors. The shortage was felt once we increased bed strength. We have already approached district administration. We hope to get help soon." Ruby Hall Clinic has 600 staff who are involved in Covid care. In addition to full-time physicians, it also has over 300 doctors as consultants.
"But most of them are over 55. And some of them are specialists in medical branches that are not linked to infectious diseases," Pathare said.
Jitendra Oswal, deputy medical director of Bharati hospital said, "We have added more beds as well. We have 520 healthcare staff: 140 doctors, 280 nurses and 100 multipurpose workers (MPW) for Covid-19 patients. We need another 180 nurses and about 80 MPWs."
To ease the shortage, Bharati Hospital has had to bring in teaching faculty from its homeopathy college, dental college and nursing college to treat Covid-19 patients.
"But these doctors cannot be deployed at ICUs, which need trained doctors and nursing staff. We have also deployed 30 MBBS graduates, who are now working as interns at our Covid-19 hospital," Oswal said.
Aniket Joshi, spokesperson for API's Pune branch, said, "We have about 150 young physicians ready to fill gaps wherever needed. But we have not yet been approached by any private hospital."
The API's Pune branch has over 350 members. "The rest of the members are over 55 years of age. They are also providing telemedicine services for patients at Covid Care Centres," Joshi said.
Joshi said anesthetists and critical-care experts (intensivists) associated with their allied branches have also expressed readiness to work at hospitals who might need their services.
Sanjay Patil, chairman of the Indian Medical Association's Hospital Board of India said, "Hospitals facing a shortage of doctors can come up with their exact need and scope of work so that we can help them."