After complaints, Raj health secy seeks report on PPE kits

QUALITY ISSUE Directive follows a letter by SMS hospital principal

JAIPUR: Health secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Wednesday sought a report from the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation Ltd after complaints of poorquality PPE kits being supplied to medical staff at SMS hospital in Jaipur.

“I have asked RMSCL managing director Pritam Yaswant to submit a report on the tendering and procurement of the PPE (personal protective equipment) kits,” said Singh, additional chief secretary, health.

However, he said he could vouch for the kits being procured. “I can tell you there is no shortage of good PPE kits in the state,” he said. “We are procuring kits as per the guidelines set by the government of India. RMSCL procures kits and we get some from the central government. We are supplying the ones we get from the Centre to SMS hospital,” he said.

Singh’s directive came after SMS hospital principal Dr Sudhir Bhandari wrote to the health secretary regarding complaints about the quality of PPE kits, which are used by medical staff while t ending t o Covid- 19 patients. Dr Bhandari said he had forwarded the complaint letter that was received 5-6 days back to the health secretary. “I received a written complaint from 8-10 nursing staff and I forwarded it to ACS asking that the matter be looked into,” he said.

Dr Bhandari’s letter (HT has a copy) says complaints have been received that the PPE kits are of poor quality, torn and made from plastic. It says medical staff complain about feeling suffocated and discomfort after wearing the kits.

Dr Bhandari said he did not think there was an issue with the quality of the PPE kits. “After I r e c e i ved t he c omplaint, I enquired from professors and doctors about the quality of PPE kits but they did not express any dissatisfaction with the kits,” he said. “There are 1800 nursing staff in the hospital but no major complaints have been received. A few of them have complained. It’s not a serious matter.”

POSITIVE CASES AT SMS Meanwhile, a day after SMS hospital was declared corona-free and opened to the general public, a rash of cases from the hospital staff were recorded. The hospital administration was in a flap as 23 staff from various departments tested positive. Most of those infected are from Ramganj area which was a Covid-19 hot spot but the health department has said it is now normalising. Those who tested positive include a doctor from the microbiology department, seven ward boys, one ward lady, five helpers in the pharmacy, one computer operator, two sanitation staff, two trolleymen, three guards and one medical machine repairman, according to the health department.

MINISTER TWEETS ON NEGLIGENCE

Meanwhile, tourism minister Vishvendra Singh took to social media to highlight negligence by the Bharatpur medical college. He said the sample reports of his security guard and RTDC staff which had been negative after testing in SMS hospital were listed as positive by the Bharatpur Medical College.

In his tweet, he said after the news came out, there was a feeling of fear among people. The minister said he had got the matter investigated and it came to light that the error occurred due to wrong data entry.