Raincoats doubling up as PPEs in Gurugram hospital

Healthcare workers walk in personal protective equipment (PPE). File photo

New Delhi: Putting the frontline healthcare workers at great risk, a private hospital at Gurugram in Haryana has given raincoats as 'personal protection equipment' (PPE) to nurses who are taking care of COVID-19 patients.

A Keralite nurse has revealed to Onmanorama that the hospital authorities had said that a proper PPE would be provided to them only if any of the suspected cases turn positive.

As there is a shortage of PPE, which costs around Rs 1,500 per kit, the hospital has stocked up raincoats to be used as a protection gear against the contagious coronavirus. There is a dearth of masks too.

Two nurses each are posted at the special counters to deal with patients having flu-related symptoms at the hospital. The two nurses on duty at these counters have to share a single N95 mask, and the hospital administration had informed that the mask would be changed only after one month.

There were also shortcomings in providing food to healthcare workers on duty, the nurse added.

Nurse faints due to lack of food

A nurse on COVID-19 duty swooned due to lack of food at the LNJP Hospital, which has the most number of coronavirus infected patients in the region, in Delhi. The nurses have started a protest to press the need to provide timely food to healthcare workers.

There are allegations that nurses staying at Gujarat Bhavan were not provided breakfast and lunch.

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