Amid the raging Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the Nurse union of AIIMS Delhi has continued to hold protests for the third consecutive day. The Union is demanding better facilities for nursing staff especially female staffers who are working for longer hours during the times of pandemic.
The President of AIIMS Nurdse union, Harish Kaleja has written a letter to the director of the institute expressing his concern. He said, “Nurses are severely affected by longer working hours (exceeded upto 7 to 8 hours) while wearing PPE in corona virus management. Conditions of women nurses are largely affected. We are demanding better facilities at work place for our nurses who are backbone for any medical institute.”
“Our demand includes implementation of uniform 04 hours duty with PPE in COVID areas, the safety of female nurses, uniform rotation policy between COVID and NON-COVID areas, the establishment of proper donning and doffing area, refreshment after doffing, display of duty roster, shuttle service during the night shift, provision of ambulance facility for COVID screening/COVID positive staff among others,” Kajla said. He also said that the administration has not responded yet to the letter.
Reportedly, 47 nurses at the AIIMS have tested for COVID-19. However, AIIMS authorities have stated that no one from the medical staff has been tested positive of coronavirus.
While Dr DK Sharma, MS of AIIMS said that “atleast 329 health care workers have been found positive since February 1. 47 out them are nurses, 86 hospital attendants, 62 sanitation staff and 7 security personnel among others but none of them were infected from the hospital.”
Reportedly, three persons from AIIMS has been declared dead due to Corona virus pandemic including an electrician, a cook and a sanitation supervisor.