Govt: N95 masks for docs, surgical masks for the rest
nNEWDELHI: Health care workers in Delhi are outraged over a government circular that says doctors in government dispensaries and mohalla clinics be given the medically-recommended N95 masks to protect against novel coronavirus (2019-ncov) infection, but other staff will have to do with ordinary surgical masks.
An N95 masks blocks 95% of all particles with diameters 0.3 micrometre or more, and is effective against dust, pollutants, and microbes.
“It is informed that 5,000 N95 masks will be issued to each district to be utilised by doctors sitting in the OPD (outpatient department) at Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic, dispensaries. Rest of the staff should use surgical masks as protective measure,” said the minutes of a statelevel meeting held on February 4 to review the preparedness measures. The document was circulated to hospitals and other healthcare facilities on Thursday.
This has the paramedical staff in the city riled up. “Why this discrimination? If N-95 masks are needed to protect against the virus, why should only doctors be given these masks? The nursing staff, lab assistants, and pharmacists everyone comes in contact with the patients,” said Jai Prakash, general secretary of the Delhi State Paramedical Federation.
“We will write to the government,” he said.
The government defended its decision stating that the doctors would be the first point-of-contact for any patient and the resources needed to be conserved.
“Doctors at these clinics are the first point of contact for the patients coming in. Once they come to know of a history of travel to China and the symptoms such as fever and cough, they will refer the patient to the isolation facilities. So, they are the once in need of the N95 masks. Apart from that, these masks will be provided in the government hospitals and to the ANMS (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) who will be contact tracing,” said Dr Abha Rani, head of Delhi’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme cell.
In hospitals, the masks will be given to all who are working in the isolation facilities.
The government on Thursday asked 19 government and 6 private hospitals, apart from teh central government ones, to create isolation facilities.
“At the isolation facilities, anyone including the staff involved in cleaning will be given the masks. However, we have to use the resources judiciously, the masks are running out in the market as well,” said Dr SM Raheja, Delhi’s director general of health services.
So far, 4 lakh masks have been distributed by the government and it has 2 lakh more in stock.