Hyderabad: Health care staff once again contracting Covid

Hyderabad: 32 health care workers (HLWs) tested positive for the virus on Monday. So far, 22 students of the Kakatiya Medical College (KMC) in Warangal and 10 doctors of Gandhi Hospital have been found infected. With this the health care workers expressed dissatisfaction with policy-makers saying "basically we have wasted the fantastic effort of the South African scientists who warned us so earlier on the spread of new Covid variant."

After 22 students got infected, the KMC administration ordered all students and faculty to be tested for Covid. Ten doctors at Gandhi Hospital are under home quarantine after testing positive on Sunday.

The college staff have been cleaning hostels by spraying sodium hypochlorite; huge disinfectant was also carried out at the Gandhi Hospital. Doctors are disappointed with the government. Dr Aviral Vatsa, who treats Covid patients, said, "We have wasted the fantastic effort of South African scientists who warned us so early on the Omicron variant. The virus has spread; policy-makers have not made many efforts to contain the spread. No huge push for vaccines; no financial push for health care; no investments in N-95 masks." He said the health care workers, being prone to infection, are exposed to diseases. Yet they are providing services to Covid patients. But the government has failed to make arrangements for their safety.

Advocate for Gender Equality Ruchi Angrish said, "I don't understand why do we wait so long to take action. South African scientists had alerted the world in November; we should have rolled out vaccines for children, boosters for HCWs, senior citizens immediately; we have already wasted so much precious time."