Jammu doctors seek ‘suitable accommodation’ for COVID-19 positive doctors
Jammu: A day after five doctors tested positive for COVID-19 in Jammu, the representatives of doctors’ organisations, on Sunday, sought “suitable accommodation” for COVID-19 positive doctors to boost the morale of the “frontline warriors”.
They suggested that the administration should either provide a separate facility to all doctors within the hospital premises or the doctors be home-quarantined rather than putting them up in isolation wards.
“There has been no regular sampling of the frontline warriors, including doctors and paramedics. Those, who tested positive, had come in contacts with the infected persons. We demand that the administration should arrange suitable accommodation for COVID positive doctors, such as Narayana Hospital in Kakryal or any other government guest house, for isolating them to boost their morale,” Dr Balvinder Singh, president, Doctors Association Jammu (DAJ), said.
He said the asymptomatic doctors should be given a choice of home isolation as they could report to hospitals in case of worsening of symptoms, thereby decreasing the load on the designated COVID hospitals in the region.
“There should be a hotel facility, as being provided to the doctors in Jammu, to all doctors working in peripheral and district hospitals to contain the spread of the infection as all such doctors are forced to regularly return their home, which increases the risk of spread of infection,” he said.
Dr Amit Krishan Dewan, president, Resident Doctors Association (RDA), also suggested a separate room facility for doctors inside the hospital premises to contain the spread of the deadly virus.
“More doctors and paramedics would turn positive for COVID-19 if proper sampling of all is conducted. There should adequate facilities for doctors so that they can perform their role in a better and effective manner,” Dr Dewan said.
On Saturday, three doctors, a technician and a nurse posted at the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, were tested positive for COVID-19 while a female doctor of Lower Roop Nagar, posted at Khour Hospital in Akhnoor tehsil, and another doctor posted in Bishnah Hospital were also tested positive.
(The Tribune)
