"The healthcare workers' positivity in Telangana (18 percent), Maharashtra (16 percent), Delhi (14 percent), Karnataka (13 percent), Puducherry (12 percent) while in Punjab it is 11 percent. So these are those states where the positivity rate, i.e. people who are testing positive among healthcare workers is on the higher side," said Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary on Thursday.
"What we track at the level of the health ministry is the positivity rate in healthcare workers as a group. Not only as doctors, but we also look at the nurses and paramedics. And then, we share it with the states and Union Territories because they are previous resources and there is a need to be alert and to protect our healthcare workers against the infection," Bhushan added as he spoke during a media briefing on the Coronavirus situation in the country.
These states and UTs have been nudged by the Home Ministry to be careful about this new problem arising while stating that it needs to be addressed. The reason behind the same should be determined and assessed.
"Is it the hospital itself as it could be one reason, therefore there is a standard protocol for hospital infection control. Whether that protocol is being followed, if not it must be followed. Whether, adequate protection is being taken by the healthcare workers, i.e., donning and doffing of PPE. We have issued SOP on it. We have also recommended the buddy system," said the health secretary.
According to this buddy system, two or more people among the hospital staff form a group and keep a check on each other in terms of appropriately donning and doffing of PPEs, maintaining hand hygiene and taking requisite steps on observing breach of PPEs.
"We have also drawn the attention of states and UTs to the localities from where these nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers support staff is coming to the hospital. And if they are bringing infection from those localities then we need to decide that those localities have been contained or not. In case, there is a need for containment or declaring them as buffer zones then that must be done. So there are SOPs in place and we insist that it must be complied with," Rajesh Bhushan.
Also Read: India Sees Highest Single Day Spike Of 83,883 Covid 19 Cases, Over 4.5 Crore Samples Tested, Death Toll Tops 67K
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had written a letter to the Prime Minister last week to raise the issue of exceeding deaths among healthcare workers who are deployed on Covid-19 management duty.
The data collected by IMA revealed that around 2006 doctors have been infected while more than 307 have succumbed to the disease so far.
"188 of those who died are general practitioners who are the first point of contact for people. An inclusive National solatium for all doctors who have laid down their lives in the calling of the nation only would render justice to the sacrifice of their families," IMA letter stated.
The letter also pointed to a government figure which stated that at least 87,000 healthcare workers have been infected with coronavirus while about 573 medical professionals have died due to it.
(With Agency Inputs)
WATCH | India reports more than 83 thousand coronavirus cases in last 24 hours