Doctors in Bengal Given Raincoats to Attend to COVID-19 Patients

According to one of the doctors, the hospital even asked them to wash the raincoats and reuse them.

(Photo: ANI)

Doctors at the North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri have claimed that they've been provided raincoats, sunglasses, and masks made of bedsheets instead of PPEs (Personal Protective Equipments), laboratory glasses and surgical or N95 masks to tend to coronavirus patients.

“We met the medical superintendent cum vice principal who told us there is no supply of PPEs and that a requisition has been sent. When we pressurised him, he asked us to not come for duty,” Dr Shahriar Alam of the North Bengal Medical College told news agency ANI.

“We were given a packet of raincoat and sunglasses. They even told us to wash the raincoats and reuse them.”

Dr Shahriar Alam, North Bengal Medical College

As the number of coronavirus cases increases with each passing day in the state as well as the country, the safety of health workers in the frontlines has become a cause of concern both for the Centre and state.

Earlier, doctors in Kolkata Medical College & Hospital (MCH) and the Beleghata ID (Infectious Disease) Hospital were also asked to use raincoats to attend COVID-19 patients, according to a report in Business Today.

Due to a shortage of gloves, masks and other PPEs for doctors and healthcare workers, many hospitals are providing them with raincoats instead of sophisticated protective gears.

Last week, the Union Textiles Ministry and the Health Ministry had assured that said the government is increasing the supplies of personal protective equipment (PPEs), including body coveralls, N95 masks, and surgical masks, stated the same report.

Meanwhile, till now West Bengal has recorded with 22 positive cases of coronavirus with three deaths.