Sans PPE kits, staff at GTB Hospital Ludhiana protest

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 22

Staff of Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Charitable Hospital today protested against the hospital authorities for failing to provide them protective gear, including PPE kits, meant for handling Covid-positive and suspected patients. They also accused the hospital authorities of not sending them to quarantine even after they came in contact with the Covid-positive patients.

All staff members fall in the low-risk category and according to the ICMR guidelines, only those who fall into the high-risk category have to be quarantined before the arrival of the report. — Dr Parveen Sobti, director, GTB Hospital

A staff nurse from the hospital has already tested positive for the Covid-19.

During the protest, staff members closed the main gate of the hospital and raised slogans against the hospital management. It was only after the police intervention that the gate of the hospital was opened. They submitted their demands to the hospital management in written and some were even sent to the Civil Hospital for testing.

Four patients came to the hospital, out of which two lost their lives. Samples of 26 staff members were taken and till Monday morning, the report of 25 were pending, while one staff nurse had tested positive for Covid. The remaining staff members alleged that instead of sending them to quarantine, they were asked to join duty.

“The staff nurse who tested positive was also not quarantined so the other staff also is at risk. Instead of giving us PPE kits, we are being given cloth gowns. Why are the hospital authorities not understanding the gravity of the situation and taking the safety of the staff seriously,” said a protesting employee.

Dr Parveen Sobti, director, GTB Hospital, when contacted, said: “We have collected the samples of the staff members who came in contact with the Covid-positive patients.”

“All staff members fall into low-risk category and according to the ICMR guidelines, only those who fall into a high-risk category have to be quarantined before the arrival of the report. All staff members are asymptotic. We will decide once their reports come,” said Dr Sobti.

Agitators shut main gate of hospital

During the protest, staff members closed the main gate of the hospital and raised slogans against the hospital management. It was only after the police intervened that the gate of the hospital was opened. They submitted their demands to the hospital management. A few members of the staff were sent to the Civil Hospital for testing

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