The State Covid-19 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) has recommended hotel Covid Care Centres (CCCs) to be established and linked to hospitals as healthcare workers (HCWs) are testing positive in large numbers, especially in state-run maternity hospital: Vani Vilas.
The cost of the hotel CCCs shall be borne by the institution, the TAC suggested. During the second wave, in many instances, the affected HCWs paid their hotel CCCs' bills and this was dampening the spirit of HCWs.
To ensure continuity and prevent disruption of services, it is important that the medical manpower is not affected by this and does not remain absent. The number of days of absence for isolation shall be counted as leave with pay, the TAC recommended.
They shall also be accorded due recognition for their meritorious service by the Government and given Covid risk allowance and other privileges, it suggested.
Also Read | Global Covid-19 caseload tops 313.3 million
Dr Savitha C, Professor and HOD of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vani Vilas Hospital, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI), who is also a member of TAC said, "As many as 15 have tested Covid positive at Vani Vilas out of whom three are our staffers, the rest are postgraduates and seven to eight interns."
In all, there are 44 postgraduate students, 20 staffers and 30 interns in Vani Vilas Hospital. They are also posted to another state-run maternity hospital: 150-bed Hajee Sir Ismail Sait (HSIS) Gosha Hospital at Shivajinagar which will soon be re-converted into a Covid hospital in light of rising cases.
"They should definitely be provided for as most of the Covid positive staff have chosen to go home currently. Very few are at Bowring hospital. This is the beginning of the third Covid wave so the hotel CCCs have not yet been readied because most of the HCWs have mild symptoms like cold, cough and fever," Dr Savitha said.
Explaining that all her colleagues contracted the infection while delivering Covid positive pregnant women, she said, "We currently have 15 Covid positive pregnant women. Those staffers who got infected were all part of teams delivering one or the other Covid positive mothers. Even if one team member is infected, they will infect others as they work together and stay in hostels.
Despite wearing PPEs, they still got infected. It is a hospital-acquired infection as they have no time to go out."
"We have very less healthcare staff as we have very few junior postgraduates. The NEET counseling hasn't been done yet. They are overworked and because of the weekend curfew too, they haven't been outside anywhere. In a span of two to three days, there's been a surge of staffers testing positive," she said.
At Vani Vilas, there are antenatal and postnatal wards, and wards for suspected Covid mothers currently.
Check out the latest DH videos here:
Deccan Herald is on WhatsApp Channels| Join now for Breaking News & Editor's Picks