Tasaduq Hussain
Srinagar : With increase in the number of healthcare workers including frontline warriors testing positive for Covid-19 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the medical experts state that the COVID warriors don’t adhere to the recommended protocols and increase the risk of contracting the virus to others.
Medical experts believe that if the health care workers continue to test positive, the system may crumble soon as “we won’t have anyone to treat the patients which will be catastrophic.”
Valley’s renowned Flu expert, Dr Nisar Ul Hassan told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that all the doctors, nurses and para-medical staff have been strictly directed to consume four drops of hydroxychloroquine and use of personal protection equipment’s (PPE) to protect themselves from Covid-19 as recommended by Indian council of medical research (ICMR).
He said it’s not only taking of hydroxychloroquine that protects health care workers but it’s important that the correct adequate doses are taken for full protection which is minimum of four or more “Maintenance doses of HCQ was associated with significant decline in disinfection and this study was published in IJMR by ICMR recently.”
He said they have found that it’s not only taking of HCQ, one should take 400 mg twice on day one followed by 400 mg once a week for next seven weeks. “This anti-arthritis drug is effective and safe and there should be no breach in the protective gear and one must be covered from head to toe.”
He said health care workers are more vulnerable and they have to put on their personal protection equipment’s all the time especially if one is treating coronavirus patients but at this point of time all the patients are suspects now.
“If the health care workers including doctors, nurses and para-medical staff continues to test positive the whole system will crumble as they have to be isolated and quarantined. There is every possibility that they will contract the virus to others which will be disastrous and catastrophic,” he said.
Dr Nisar said authorities should do mass testing of all the health workers and the anti-body test to ensure sure the particular health care worker is no more a threat for patients as the infected one is risk for patients.
“It’s a matter of grave concern that if the health care workers go on contracting the virus the whole system will crumble and ultimately we will be left with no one to treat the patients.” Dr Nisar said the health care workers should be wearing protective gears all the time and there is now way to take it off.
Dr Nisar furthermore said that most of the health care workers are not taking recommended hydroxychloroquine made mandatory for all to consume it on daily basis, thereby risking their own lives as well the lives of patients.
Pertinently, at least a dozen health care workers including doctors, nurses and para-medics across Jammu and Kashmir have tested positive for novel corona-virus while the total positive cases have crossed the mark of 2600 with 33 deaths so far—(KNO)
