Hindu Rao Doctors resign over inadequacy of PPE; authorities refuse to accept resignation, threaten council action
New Delhi: Inadequacy of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) has led 4 contractual doctors from the Hindu Rao Hospital resign from their duties after the hospital administration allegedly refused to address the said issue. While, as per the hospital authorities, no resignation will be accepted; the North Delhi Municipal Corporation under which the hospital runs, has stated that staff unwilling to tend to patients during this critical time of Coronavirus (COVID 19) epidemic, will not be held back and the government will not assign them in the future.
Recently, considering the rise in coronavirus cases in Delhi, the Hindu Rao hospital administration declared that no resignation by any of the healthcare staff of the facility, would be accepted and necessary action taken against the doctors and nurses.
"In view of Covid 19 pandemic outbreak, resignations of the doctors or nurses will not be accepted and their names will be sent to Delhi Medical Council office and Nursing Council of India for disciplinary action," read the office order signed by CMO, administration, Hindu Rao Hospital. "This order is issued with prior approval of Medical Superintendent, hospital," the order further stated.
The said order is attached below:
However, as the news spread, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner Varsha Joshi took to twitter clarifying the issue. She stated that the order was issued against the directions of DHA and without the knowledge of the additional commissioner and the commissioner, and disciplinary action would be taken against the disobedience.
(1) This order was issued against directions of DHA and without the knowledge of Additional Commissioner abd Commissioner. Disciplinary action will be taken for this disobedience.
— Varsha Joshi (@suraiya95) April 1, 2020
(2) From my side, ANY unwilling worker is MORE than welcome to resign. Especially in a pandemic. https://t.co/GEiPaPOOhD
"Any unwilling staff is more than welcome to resign, especially in pandemic. Only a couple of doctors have expressed desire to leave and their application will be processed on Thursday and contract will not be renewed in future," she stated.
"The only remotely covid related activity presently going on in HRH is screening, for which more than enough PPE kits are available. More PPE kits are being procured directly from the manufacturers. We will evidently never undertake any activity which risks our staff," she added further stating that the hospital "has a long history of political gameplaying which came to almost a standstill over the past one year. Plainly there are forces interested in starting off again. I will not tolerate this."
Joshi also shared pictures of a few doctors working at the hospital wearing PPE.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Delhi rose to 152.
With the rise in cases of COVID 19 cases, the stigma around it is increasing, evidently creating a havoc in the lives of doctors, who are in the frontline of the Indian medical fraternity's battle against the virus. At the same time, the government finally in a mood of taking no-nonsense and harassment against the medical profession is taking unique ways to make sure to people what important contribution medicos are making to the society.
In one such incident, ordering a punishment to let the attackers know how doctors are working in the quarantine facilities in such critical time of coronavirus (COVID 19) epidemic, 8 men who recently assaulted a private doctor were made to clean the government quarantine facility in Gujarat based Bhavnagar's Sir T Hospital.
Read Also: Coronavirus Fear: 8 Men Assault Doctor With Sticks, Made To Clean Hospital As Punishment
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