Nurses approach SC seeking provision of protective kits for healthcare workers

New Delhi [India], June 14 : The United Nurses Association (UNA) approached the Supreme Court mentioning that healthcare workers are exposed to the risk of getting infected by Covid-19 and sought to provide protective kits to healthcare workers.
UNA through its Delhi State General Secretary Joldin Francis filed an intervention application in the suo motu case taken up by the apex court relating to the proper treatment of Covid-19 patients and dignified handling of dead bodies in the hospitals.
The association claimed that in Delhi more than 1,000 workers have already tested positive with the virus which has also led to the death of five workers and sought for providing protective kits to healthcare workers and also making them available in COVID-19 hospitals.
It further sought for proper accommodation near hospitals, prompt transportation to healthcare staff along with provisions of nutritious food, proper screening of suspected persons before admitting them into hospitals and to ensure speedy testing of suspected cases.
The application said that there should be full and timely payment of salaries of healthcare staff working even in private hospitals.
It also sought to expand the scope of personal accident cover provided under the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana' to healthcare workers fighting COVID-19 and also include all healthcare workers across sectors, including those recruited on ad-hoc basis under the scheme.
Free testing and treatment should be extended to those workers who get infected by Covid-19 while performing their duty, the application said, adding that families of workers need to be looked after while they undergo treatment and remain in quarantine.
"The health and safety (physical/mental) of healthcare workers are of utmost importance because a further shortage of health care workers would result in thousands of unattended COVID-19 patients, which will have serious repercussions including escalation of the present situation and result in an impact on the economy, medical facilities, potential deaths and loss of human resource," it added.
India witnessed its highest-ever spike of 11,929 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country to 3,20,922, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.
With 311 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the coronavirus death toll has now reached 9,195.
Out of the total number of cases, 1,49,348 are active and 1,62,379 have been cured/discharged/migrated.