Hyderabad: Frontline workers demand 10% bed reservation

Hyderabad: Frontline warriors in the State are dying 20 from medical staff including doctors died in the second phase. Following which the doctors demanded allocation of beds and compensation to the family if the doctor dies.

The second phase of the Corona Virus led the State to a huge bed crunch. Not only patients but also the doctors are unable to get the beds in hospitals following which the as many as 20 frontline workers including doctors serving patients at various hospitals across the State lost their lives.

According to medical staff, their lives are at risk but they are performing duties on humanitarian grounds during the second wave. This wave has claimed many frontline workers or their families as they turned carriers to them.

Dr Narsimha, assistant professor of forensics at Mahabubnagar Medical College, Dr Anuradha, head of the Department of Biochemistry at Siddipet Medical College, Dr Yugandhar Rajesh and Dr Ganesh, assistant professors from Osmania Medical College, have recently passed away.

Dr Menon, of Gandhi Hospital, also died a few days ago. Swaruparani (53) head nurse at Nilofar died on May 7. Sujatha, a head nurse at Sangareddy District Hospital, MPH EO Bora Ravi in Warangal and Saranga Pani, a lab technician at Warangal MGM Hospital, Lalitha, ANM in Medak District, Yakudu Yadagiri, PHC, Moinabad including Shivakumar, working at the DMHO office in Bhadradri Kothagudem are few of them who has succumbed to Covid-19 and other ailments.

The government urged the government to provide at least 10 per cent of beds for infected medical staff in all designated hospitals as an emergency recognizing to their services during tough time.

"We are serving Covid patients wholeheartedly round the clock without any holiday but when it comes to medical staff unable to get the beds for treatment, a medical worker recently died on the way to the hospital as he did not find a bed in Khammam.

One of the health visitors in Tandur recently died of coronary heart disease", said Dr Kathi Janardhan, President Telangana Public Health Association.

In another instance Bora Ravi, president of the Telangana Medical and Health Workers' Union, got infected to Covid-19 a few days ago as he couldn't get a ventilator, Janardhan added.

Telangana Public Health Association is demanding that the government should support the families of frontline warriors. Compensation from the Centre and State government should be ensured promptly. Eligible family members of the doctors who died should be employed as per the grade and in addition to medical staff, all their family members to be vaccinated.