The Supreme Court on Wednesday took serious note of the sufferings of medical nurses who are made to continuously work, especially in COVID-19 wards, without respite or least regard for their safety by managements of private hospitals in Maharashtra and Delhi.
Also read: Nurses move SC, say health staff ill-equipped
A three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan sought a response from the Central government after advocate V.K. Biju, representing the 3.8-lakh strong United Nurses Association, highlighted the “tortures” suffered by professional nurses who place their lives on the line without pay, rest or salary.
Mental depression
Many nurses suffer from mental depression caused by the extreme hardships they are facing at work now, the petition said.
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Mr. Biju, making his submissions to the virtual court Bench, pointed to how States and private hospitals have circumvented the law and the Supreme Court’s own directions, especially an April 8 order.
The court had on April 8 directed the government to take steps to protect the lives of health care workers, who are the corona warriors, by ensuring that they are adequately provided PPE kits, appropriate accommodation and salaries.
It said Maharashtra, for one, has applied “the Maharashtra Essential Service Maintenance Act (MESMA), without following any of the above guidelines/orders, but by supporting the hospital managements, compelling the nurses for continuous duty without any rest, salary and quarantine facilities.”
Nurses are made to work continuously for five days without any quarantine facilities even after direct contact with the COVID patients, the petition said.
Highlighting the deaths of two nurses in Delhi, the petition said “it is a clear fact that there is no proper isolation facilities, equipment like PPE, mask, salary, extra COVID work allowance, etc, for the staff nurses. It is also a fact that after the duty many nurses are compelled to stay together, as there is no proper accommodation facilities, which is causing to spread the virus again.”
