Srinagar: Doctors at the emergency section of the SMHS hospital here on Friday went on a flash strike over health department’s alleged failure to provide them with necessary protective gear. However doctors resumed their work two hours after authorities swung into action and met their demands.
Hospital sources told Kashmir Observer that the work at emergency ward remained suspended for nearly two hours after doctors went on a flash strike. “Doctors stopped seeing patients with flu and COVID-19 like symptoms as they were not equiped with necessary protective gear”, they said.
“For past 25 days, we have been demanding full protective gear from the administration. However, till now nothing has been done. The government is putting our lives and that of others at risk,” a doctor said.
He said that the doctors were examining patients since last one month without any protective gear.
“We don’t have masks, body gown, head gear, eye gear, gloves and other protective gear. We are the first contact to every patient with COVID-19 symptoms with travel history to Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other foreign countries,” he said.
Protesting doctors slammed government for declaring COVID-19 as epidemic without any puting in place proper facilities.
He said that the doctors are the point persons that see over 40 patients every day and if infected the virus can spread like wild fire.
“We are demanding at least the basic protective gear, otherwise we won’t join the duty,” he said. Adding that admin keep saying “Carry for now, we will arrange soon” for last 25 days.
While high dependency patients are being examined, the routine OPD’s have been stopped, sources said.
Talking to Kashmir Observer, Medical Superintendent, SMHS DR. Nazir Choudhary said that the doctors have been provided all the essential items.
“We gave them everything now and they are back on duty,” Choudhary said.
The Medical Superintendent dropped the call when he was asked about the delay in in providing protective gear to the doctors.
Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Samir Mattoo did not attend to repeated calls by this newspaper.
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