Accusing the authorities of sheer indifference towards their safety, the frontline health warriors of Amritsar in Punjab have refused PPE kits recently supplied to them. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff of Amritsar Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) have refused to use these, alleging that they were substandard and did not include even N-95 masks.
The doctors have complained to the state government that the 2,000 kits that were provided to them at a whopping cost of over Rs 40 lakh not just lacked N-95 masks, but many were without zippers or would tear apart while wearing. Following the complaint, Amritsar Lok Sabha MP Gurjit Singh Aujla has asked for an immediate inquiry as he had donated his MPLAD funds for the same.
“We have received numerous complaints about the poor quality of the kits and I have marked an inquiry into it. Owing to the current pandemic, the issues require immediate resolution as safety of the frontline warriors is our top priority. If found guilty of any lapses or embezzlement, the concerned officials involved in purchase shall be penalised,” MP Aujla told THE WEEK. The inquiry shall be headed by ADC Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Shiv Dular Singh.
It may be noted that GMCH is not only a Covid hospital, but also a Covid testing facility.
“We got these kits too late and majority are substandard. They do not have N-95 masks. They are of not just substandard material but even of very small size that fits nobody here. Not just doctors, but even paramedic staff are unhappy with these kits as they tear off while just putting them on. Our lives are at equivalent risk; we may or may not wear it. These are useless and we have no choice but to wear them,” said one of the doctors, on anonymity, deputed in a Covid ward.
The complaint filed by one of the heads of the departments of the hospital accused senior hospital authorities and district authorities of alleged embezzlement of funds. They alleged that while the cost quoted officially was around Rs 40 lakh, the kits received could not have been more than worth Rs 7 lakh.
