Can't go home: West Bengal govt issues new guidelines for health workers
West Bengal government has published new guidelines for health workers including doctors and nurses, which has banned them from going home for the next seven days.
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Several doctors in India have fallen prey to coronavirus. In West Bengal too, many doctors, who were in charge of treating COVID-19 patients, have already been quarantined after being infected. Fearing that the infection may spread outside the hospital from doctors, the West Bengal government has announced on Sunday, that doctors will be banned from going home for the next seven days. The same rules apply to nurses and other health workers.
This will not only prevent the spread of coronavirus but will also reduce the mental and physical stress of doctors and other health workers, as per the new state guidelines for hospitals. However, the state government will provide accommodation for them. The Mamata Banerjee government is working to set up staying arrangements at hospitals. Besides this, they are in talks with few guest houses and hotels near hospitals for accommodation of these corona-fighters.
There are many instances and allegations of ill treatment that doctors, nurses and other health workers have had to face, only because they are treating coronavirus patients. Even health workers, who were by no means involved with treatment of COVID-19 patients, faced social boycotting and threats from neighbours.Â
An organisation of doctors of West Bengal has sent a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs, India, over this inhuman face of Kolkata. The chief minister herself said, if any such incident comes to the fore, strict action will be taken in compliance with the law. However, reportedly many doctors and other health workers also don't want to increase the risk of spreading the virus to their family members by going home regularly. They opt to stay close to the hospitals. So, it is expected, the decision will be welcomed by the health fraternity.
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