Lack of PPE reason for spread: Hyderabad doctors

HYDERABAD: Lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) or poor quality PPEs given to doctors, are the primary reasons for the spread of the coronavirus in government facilities, say healthcare workers. While the minimum standard of PPEs for hospital staff, as per health officials, should be of 60 gsm quality — the recommended thickness for Hazmat suits is between 60 and 80 gsm — junior doctors manning emergency OPs at the hospitals have PPEs that are only 40-50 gsm.Worse, at other times they have to work with just N-95 masks.
In fact, doctors on regular outpatient duties, are often given normal surgical masks, said sources. “Sometimes we are given N-95 masks and PPEs while at other times we work with just N-95 masks. When we ask for the protective gear from our superiors, they say that it has not been supplied by the government and we will be given as and when it is supplied. It has been more of a formality than a measure to ensure protection. The PPEs supplied are of grade 2 quality,” said a doctor at Osmania Hospital.
Another senior resident at the NIMS said that only doctors screening patients at OPD are being provided with PPEs. “While some doctors performing surgeries or procedures too are given PPEs, not all of them have protective gear,” he added. The superintendent of a hospital maintained that doctors were being provided quality PPEs as per protocol. “Some PPE kits might have some issues, but the rest are of good quality. If there is any problem with PPEs, doctors can report it and we will replace them,” the official said.