Delhi: 500 cases a day, not more than 14 days in quarantine after coronavirus duty of health care workers

More than 500 health workers in the capital have tested positive for the virus so far. (Express photo by Prem Nath Pandey)

In a decision that has riled a section of the health workers, the Delhi government has issued fresh guidelines that do away with the need of 14 days of quarantine for all doctors, nurses and other staff after completing Covid-19 duty. The new guidelines are in accordance with a circular issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, May 15.

The capital reported 500 new cases on Tuesday — the highest-peak day and six more deaths as the guidelines for the blockade of relaxations came into force. The Total number of cases of foot-in 10,554, while 166 people have been killed and 4,750 have recovered or been discharged from the hospitals.

Delhi, the Health Secretary, Padmini Singla, in the order, said that the personnel will be quarantined only if they have had “high-risk exposure” in dealing with Covid-19 patients or the handling of samples without the EPI kits. “To regulate the quarantine of health care workers after performing duty at Covid-19 areas is not justified, except as explained under the protocol of high-risk and low-risk contact,” said the order.

The quarantine will also be necessary if the health staff in contact with a positive person (within a distance of 1 m) for more than 15 minutes without a mask, face shield or safety glasses. High-risk contacts in quarantine for 14 days and tested.

However, the health workers at the forefront have raised objections to the new guidelines. More than 500 health workers in the capital have tested positive for the virus so far, including many not published in Covid designated hospitals.

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has written to the Minister of Health of the Union of Harsh Vardhan to revoke the order. “The virus has an incubation period of 2 to 14 days after exposure. There are several instances of doctors test positive for the disease after a second test on or after… in the current situation, of 14 days of quarantine, along with proper testing of all the doctors, after Covid-19 duty is necessary to prevent the spread of the infection among colleagues,” said FORDA president, Dr. Shivaji Dev Barman.

“Following this order, we are putting our family, and coworkers at risk. A doctor who worked in the Covid-19 district yesterday, has been invited to join duty within a few hours of coming into contact with a suspected/confirmed case. The infection from spreading to other people. We have given our presentation to the Ministry and are waiting for an official confirmation,” said Dr. Joyutpal Biswas of the Resident Physicians of the Association of Safdarjung Hospital. The RDA has requested the ministry to allow quarantine for at least a week.

Safdarjung medical superintendent, in an order, said, “All of the health workers who are going to complete 14 days (Covid duty) will continue its quarantine 10 days at home, instead of staying in hotels, from the 18th of May.”

On Monday, resident doctors of RML Hospital stay in hotels during their quarantine period they were asked to vacate their rooms immediately, under penalty of having their wages deducted, to stay. The order was issued by the hospital, however, none of these directives have been sent by the Central Ministry.

Before the government of the order, the physicians were sent for two weeks of quarantine in hotels organised by the Delhi government after Covid duty duration of two weeks. “If physicians are asked to go home the next day with many of them with young children and old parents or hostels where you share rooms, it will increase the likelihood of exposure. Even after carrying out Covid duties with the proper Ppe, there have been cases of health care workers testing positive,” said a resident doctor of RML Hospital.

On Tuesday, however, the administration relaxed the rules and asked the doctors to vacate rooms by May 25. Dr Minakshi Bharadwaj, RML Hospital medical superintendent, said that “They have been given time to vacate in compliance with the Ministry of the new quarantine guidelines.”

Hospital administrations also to call back to the doctors under quarantine. “According to the orders, we’re going to have to call them back. However, the risk of contracting the infection and will rise. They will be exposed to many more members of the staff. How will the government contain the virus like this?”, he said a primary care physician of Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital.

On Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the government’s main priority was to ensure the mortality rate remains low. Delhi Covid fatality rate is 1.57% today. “If we look at the figures in Delhi, the rate is low. There are about 1,800 people in the hospitals, of which only about 150 are in serious condition. I am personally tracking the progress of each one,” he told a TV news channel on Tuesday.

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