Continuous work without adequate break unlike given in the first wave of COVID in 2020 has created a sense of desperation among doctors.
“Besides treating patients continuously by putting our lives at risk, we are forced to face the angry public who shout at us for lack of adequate doses of vaccines,” a senior medical officer of a Government Hospital said.
The State government could have recognised their services with an incentive for fight against the COVID at least during the peak period. “An incentive for a couple of months will keep the fighting spirit of the medical officers and paramedical staff high to continuously work in the COVID wards,” he added.
The doctors were demoralised as no hotel accommodation and food were given to them for the quarantine period as in 2020.
The hotel accommodation helped to quarantine themselves after a week of duty in COVID-19 ward for a few days before going back home. “Now, we are putting the lives of our family members in danger,” the officer said.
Earlier, a RT-PCR test negative report was made mandatory for doctors and other health staff to go home after quarantine. “But now, in the absence of hotel accommodation and mandatory RT-PCR test, the doctors walk straight into their homes from the COVID-19 wards,” said Virudhunagar district secretary of Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Association, R. Varaivan.
Doctors complain that a judicious deployment of doctors with due rotation in COVID ward and in non-COVID duty will help medical officers and paramedical staff fight fatigue.
“The district administration has called for recruitment of doctors and paramedical staff to be employed on contract basis. We will have to wait for more time to get a break,” the officer said.
The health workers also deplored lack of adequate COVID Care Centres. “Earlier, there was one CCC in every taluk but now one at Kariapatti and another one in Sivakasi are alone functioning. The absence of CCC in neighbourhood is creating additional problem,” a Health Inspector from Rajapalayam taluk said.
Health Inspectors used to engage ‘108’ ambulances to pick up patients from their house to be dropped at the nearest COVID-19 hospital. However, with lack of adequate number of ambulances, the patients are coming on their own to Government Hospital.
“They take bus, autorickshaw or two-wheeler. If a patient is advised home quarantine after screening at the GH, he or she takes the same mode of transport back home, putting the lives of several persons in danger,” he added.
More CCCs should be set up in each taluk and hotel accommodation and food for medical officers and paramedical staff provided to safeguard their family, they demand.
