Bihar’s Junior Doctors demand home quarantine amid absence of protective kits and masks
Giving a glimpse of lack of preparedness of Bihar government to combat Coronavirus, as many as 83 junior doctors at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) have demanded 15-day home quarantine via a petition after developing symptoms of viral disease amid the absence of protective kits and masks.
Their petition has been forwarded to the Principal State Health Secretary Sanjay Kumar for further direction.
Bihar has so far registered four Corona positive cases amongst which two are currently admitted at NMCH.
“We’re on duty without all these necessary kits and masks, which makes many of us vulnerable to infection…many of us have developed symptoms of COVID-19…but nobody is here to listen us”, said Ravi Ranjan Kumar Raman, president of NMCH Junior Doctors Association.
“We too are human beings and have families… what will happen when doctors and their family too are infected?”, asked another junior doctor, requesting anonymity.
Earlier on March 23, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced monetary incentive equal to one month basic salary for doctors and paramedical staff for their contribution in fighting COVID-19 cases but the junior doctors have written to the government against the monetary incentive and demanded that the money should instead be utilised to provide them PPE kits and N-95 masks for their safety.