Visakhapatnam: Class IV staff shortage hits GHCCD

Visakhapatnam: The existing manpower seems to be grossly disproportionate to the ever-increasing inflow of admissions at the Government Hospital for Chest and Communicable Diseases (GHCCD).

After a positive case has been recorded in the port city followed by another three, the hospital has been grappling with the shortage of class IV employees. The number of admissions has been steadily growing in the hospital that has strength of about 100 beds facilitated for isolation purpose.

In Visakhapatnam district, four coronavirus positive cases have so far been registered and they have been getting treated at the GHCCD. But, the shortage of class IV employees has cast a shadow on the sanitary maintenance and upkeep of the hospital. Some of those admitted in the hospital express their apprehension about the upkeep of toilets as they allege that it paints a picture of neglect.

However, a health official, on condition of anonymity, said that frontline workers were reluctant to attend to duties because of health hazards they have been exposed to.

With insufficient masks and personal protective equipment adding to their woes, the workers find it difficult to cater to the needs of patients. Moreover, owing to the country-wide lockdown, the staff also considers it a Herculean task to reach the hospital on a daily basis.

"But when we insist on their attendance on time and asked them to better their performance, they abstain from work the next day, giving lame excuses. That is why we are unable to be strict with them as we are already grappling with skeletal staff," the health official told The Hans India.

Further, sources mentioned that though fixtures to set up toilet cubicles are in place, no one is coming forward to set them up in the hospital.

Even recruitment on temporary basis does not seem to work as people movement has been totally restricted, while the existing staff feels reluctant to attend to the duty.

In such a scenario, the hospital is making a tight rope walk by adjusting with the limited manpower resources to meet the increasing requirement of the Covid-19 suspects.