PGI nurses question quality of PPE kits
LUCKNOW : Nurses of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) have raised concern over the quality of mask and personal protective kits (PPEs) provided to them after 15 of these frontline health workers tested positive for the deadly coronavirus in the recent past. The nurses are also demanding separate washrooms as presently they are forced to use the same lavatories that are being used by corona patients.
“There are around 60 nurses working in the Rajdhani Covid Hospital in different shifts but the administration doesn’t treat them like human beings. They are forced to use the same washroom that is used by patients,” said president of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute Nurses Association Seema Shukla.
Apart from nurses, around 30 employees are in quarantine.
Shukla alleged that, “Our association has been constantly demanding regular thermal scanning and availability of masks and sanitisers etc for all staffers but no action had been taken. We suspect that nurses are given worst quality of PPE kits.”
She further said “High quality PPEs are given only to doctors while the nurses get the substandard kits. Presently 60 nurses are working in the hospital but no one can guarantee about their safety from virus. Some of the nurses are positive for the last one month.”
A nurse working in Covid Hospital said, “Due to fear of spreading the infection, we don’t even go to our houses to meet our families. Sometimes we sleep on vacant hospital bed. After 14 days of duties when I go home, I don’t even sleep in the same area as my family.” However, chief medical superintendent of PGI professor Amit Agarwal said, “The quality of PPE kits cannot be questioned. Most of the nurses who have contracted Covid were serving in the non-Covid area. Although if they have any problem they can put their views before the hospital administration.”
THE NURSES ARE ALSO DEMANDING SEPARATE WASHROOMS AS PRESENTLY THEY ARE FORCED TO USE THE SAME LAVATORIES THAT ARE BEING USED BY CORONA PATIENTS.