Rohtak hospital curtails mask supply to doctors

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, April 17

Amid the rising number of Covid cases among doctors and other health workers, Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) has curtailed the supply of N95 masks to its departments, forcing doctors to buy it on their own. In all, 104 doctors — PGIMS Director Dr Rohtash Yadav, 60 nurses, 27 paramedical staffers, 31 bearers, 26 ministerial staff and 53 MBBS students — have tested positive for Covid in the past one-and-a-half months.

Online classes for MBBS students

The PGIMS has decided to conduct online classes (theory, practical and demonstration) for MBBS students of the 2019 and 2020 batchs in view the rising Covid cases.

Two of the doctors at the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, including state nodal officer for Covid Dr Dhruv Chaudhary, have been re-infected. One of them had received the first dose of the vaccine.

“The second wave of Covid is more intense than the first one. In spite of that, the authorities have cut the supply of N95 masks by 40 per cent. Earlier, five masks were provided in a month. Now, the number has been reduced to three,” said a senior doctor on the condition of anonymity.

Another doctor said, “The supply of masks has been curtailed at a time when several doctors and other staffers are in the grip of Covid. It is beyond my understanding. Who will treat Covid and other patients if doctors are not taken care of?”

Neither Medical Superintendent Dr Pushpa Dahiya nor PGIMS spokesman Dr Varun Arora responded to phone calls.

A senior officer admitted that the supply of masks had been cut, but claimed there was no dearth in the PGIMS. “The masks are being provided to departments as per requirement,” he added.