Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar : Kashmir is facing a new challenge in its fight to contain the spread of the COVID-19 as over 15 health workers have been infected and scores of doctors and nurses being quarantined.
There are many nurses, doctors, and other health workers who have fallen to victim of COVID-19, and were fighting valiantly against coronavirus.
An official of Health Department told news agency KINS that over 15 health workers have been tested positive for coronavirus in Kashmir.
“Among them three nurses, one doctor of the Super Speciality Hospital Srinagar have also fallen victim to COVID-19. Similarly, there have been nurses and doctors at SKIMS Bemina who too have been infected. An official of administrative block of GMC Srinagar has got infected,” the official said.
At least 40 staff members who have come in contact with COVID patients have been sent into quarantine at Super Speciality Hospital Srinagar. At least 15 positive cases have been reported at the hospital including some patients and attendants.
The super-specialty hospital provides facilities such as neurology, neurosurgery, gastroenterology, oncology, plastic surgery and others. So far urology and gastroenterology wards have been shut and new admissions to plastic surgeon department have been stopped.
Similarly, six in-patients were found infected at Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla last week. Following which several doctors and nurses were quarantined.
On May 12 at least 40 health care workers at SKIMS Soura including 12 doctors were quarantined after a woman from Anantnag was tested positive. “There were apprehensions these staff members have contacted with her,” a senior doctor at SKIMS Soura said.
“Doctors are fighting this battle at the forefront but unfortunately government is not providing us proper protective gear,” a doctor at SMHS hospital said.
“If government does not provide doctors proper protective gear, we will lose doctors before patients. We need protective gear also in emergency wards and other wards also because we don’t know who is a coronavirus patient till tests are done,” he said.
A nurse of CD Hospital said nobody is renting them accommodation here.
“We are facing social stigma. People prefer to stay away from us. Nobody wants us to enter their homes saying they may get infected. Even our families are telling us to stay at hospital that we may bring home coronavirus,” the nurse said.(KINS)
