Osmania Medical College hostel in Hyderabad is turning into a new cluster, as at least five more junior doctors who stay there tested positive for coronavirus. Till Tuesday evening, 12 post-graduate students (junior doctors) were detected with COVID-19. Six of them are gynaecology course PGs who worked at Modern Government Maternity Hospital, Petlaburj. Though another person who stayed in the hostel too tested positive, he was the brother of one of the students.
After increasing number of cases were detected among junior doctors who stay in the hostel located in Koti, officials started to test 280 house surgeons. Officials in the Telangana Health department heaved a sigh of relief as 151 house surgeons and PGs tested negative. Test results of at least 129 are awaited.
The positive test results of PGs raised concerns about them becoming spreaders of the virus as they attended patients at the State government hospital.
Senior doctors in various government hospitals where non-COVID patients undergo treatment said that tests have to be conducted on them too to know if they have the infectious disease. This helps to prevent further spread to patients and their family members.
“The house surgeons and PGs interact with senior doctors about the cases. They are integral part of our teams while performing surgeries. We too could have got the virus but remain asymptomatic. Tests should be conducted on us too,” said a senior doctor from the maternity hospital in Petlaburj.
PPE quality
Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) members said that poor quality of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), N95 masks, are provided to them on some shifts. They have been pointing out the issue for more than a month.
“Good quality PPEs are provided most of the time. But it is sub-standard on some shifts or days. We did not raise complaints as it might be perceived that we are creating nuisance unnecessarily. But will coronavirus stay away when we wear sub-standard PPE for a shift?” a junior doctor questioned.
TJUDA members would represent the issue with senior officials in the Health department. They have also requested that pregnant healthcare workers be excluded from COVID duties.
