A report by the Health Department on COVID-19 positive cases among health workers suggests that 267 health workers have contracted the infection till July 20.
Of them, the highest number of cases (62) was recorded among nurses, while 47 doctors have tested positive. A total of 23% were field workers involved with disease control measures, like junior public health nurses and health inspectors, while 62% of workers were involved with institution-based patient care. Among ASHA workers and ambulance drivers, 34 people have tested positive.
“Positivity is higher among health workers in non-COVID-19 settings and there seems to be a greater chance of getting the infection from such settings. In facilities where COVID-19 patients are treated, full PPE kits are anyway being used and infection-control measures are already in place,” said a top public health official. These instances of positivity in non-COVID-19 settings include staff members at primary and community health centres, private hospitals, and clinics.
Lack of PPE kits
Going by the report, 14% of health workers, including ASHA workers and staff nurses, reported absence of adequate PPE kits at work, along with reuse of PPE. Some workers also suggested that improper handling of throat swabs and other objects likely to carry the infection could have caused it.
“All District Medical Officers (DMO) have been directed to ensure that all doctors and paramedics wear necessary PPE while taking care of non-COVID-19 patients. Every patient poses an equal risk and infection-control practices in peripheral institutions will have to be strengthened,” the official said.
Highest in capital
The largest chunk of positive cases among health workers, 20% of the total, was reported from Thiruvanathapuram, followed by Ernakulam (12%).
In a situation where staff at health facilities are having to quarantine themselves, DMOs have been asked to prepare a pool of doctors and staff to draw from.
Guidelines issued by the Health Department suggest that personnel will be drawn from different departments – AYUSH medical officers and dental surgeons are also likely to be deployed as part of the team at first-line treatment centres.
“Since many are asymptomatic, N95 masks instead of triple-layer masks will have to be distributed among staff at PHCs and other facilities where fever clinics are running. For infection-control practices to be effective, crowd-control at government facilities is necessary, besides increasing manpower to implement a staff layering system where all staff members would not have to go into quarantine if one person is infected,” said G.S. Vijayakrishnan, general secretary, Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association.
