Lack of PPE leads to Protests

Many district hospital health workers gathered here at Wednesday’s District Magistrate office to demonstrate at their workplace, where coronavirus patients are being treated, over the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits. “We have requested the higher officials to provide us with proper equipment as our work is to clean the ward of the coronavirus patients. Our requests went unheard,” said Neeraj, a sanitation worker at the district hospital, while speaking to a reporter.

“There are no facilities for us in the hospital. We just get Rs 6,900 monthly. They have provided us with a local mask, gloves and shoes, which we are not able to wear in this weather,” said Sachin Kumar, another health worker.

Gautam Buddh Nagar (GBN) District Magistrate (DM) Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, speaking with the media in this regard, said that a notice was given to the District Hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) to include all the required equipment for these health staff.