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As rising Covid cases driven by Omicron batter India, more and more healthcare workers are finding it increasingly difficult to protect themselves from getting infected. With daily cases surpassing the 1-lakh mark on Friday, about 10 per cent of the healthcare workers across the country have tested positive for Covid 19.
“The number of healthcare workers infected with Covid-19 is very high. On an average, nearly 10 per cent of the healthcare fraternity is Covid positive,” Dr Johnrose Austin Jayalal, past National President of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), told BusinessLine .
“We are getting a report from every college that 100-150 people are infected with Covid, so that makes 10 per cent of all the healthcare staff across the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, according to government sources, around 200 doctors across the whole of Delhi are currently Covid positive. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday had visited the healthcare staff infected with Covid.
“In Maulana Azad Medical College, over 20 are affected with Covid, and in AIIMS, Delhi, about 60 doctors have Covid. In Safdarjung Hospital, nearly 50 have contracted Covid and in Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, about 25 have the coronavirus,” a government source told BusinessLine .
Third wave
Health Minister of Delhi Satyendar Jain on January 5 had stated that the third wave has set in. In Delhi, the daily positivity rate is nearing 20 per cent.
“We have put a roster system so that at one point, some can report for duty for five days and the others can work from home for two days. We have put this arrangement in place to avoid manpower crisis,” Bishnu Panigrahi, Fortis Healthcare’s Group Head, said.
“PD Hinduja Hospital has a good bed:nurse and bed:doctor ratio. So even though some of our colleagues have been tested positive, we can manage and run the scenario. We are also trying our best to keep the team motivated, and the other thing is probably working because elective non-Covid cases are comparatively down so the resources are getting diverted to Covid facilities. So, I am sure that post-Covid, there will be much discussion on how we can strengthen healthcare resources and manpower to augment and manage similar situations in the future,” Joy Chakraborty, COO at PD Hinduja Hospital & MRC, Mahim, Mumbai, said.
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