Srinagar, Mar 23 (KNO): Doctors and medicos working at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital on Monday alleged that triple layer masks were distributed only among few doctors and medicos while as majority of them were still without masks.
A senior doctor working at the hospital told wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that around 400 hundred doctors and medicos received triple layer masks but around two thousand doctors and other paramedical staff is without masks yet. “What would these triple layer masks will do as they get exhausted after every four to five hours,” said the doctors, wishing not to be named. “Are authorities thinking that by bringing triple layer masks they will fight Covid-19 then they are mistaken?” The doctor said he has elderly parents and a baby at home but he has decided not to go home as that would put his family at a risk.
“Only masks are not enough, there is need of full shield so that we can protect ourselves and can work without any fear and apprehensions,” he said. “If one doctor is infected due to inadequate protection, the entire health care system will collapse and the general public will have nowhere to go.”Authorities have been maintaining that triple layer masks are safe for regular OPDs while as N95 is essential for dealing with Covid-19 positive cases. Another health official said that there is some supply that may not suffice beyond a few weeks if not adequately replenished in time “We need to protect our doctors and medicos working as frontline workers and the supplies should be stocked for two to three months. We would need masks in lakhs to meet any eventuality,” he said—(KNO)