GMCH nurses agitate for want of saline to treat non-Covid patients

Aurangabad, Aug 12:

The Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) is witnessing a rise in non-covid patients since the drop in Covid-19 patients in and around the city. However, the shortage of required medicines including saline in the hospital, the relatives of patients procure them from medical shops situated outside the campus. To attract the attention towards the core issue, the in charge sisters (nurses) launched an agitation questioning that if the health of any patient deteriorates and any untoward incident takes place then whom should be held responsible for it? Later on, the hospital administration decided to borrow the required medicines including saline (provided for the treatment of Covid patients) for the non-Covid patients in the hospital.

These nurses claimed that besides saline and other medicines they also deprive of petty things like A4 papers and broom. They claimed that their demands were being ignored by the administration. Hence to attract the attention of the administration towards their demands, the nurses launched an agitation. Maharashtra Government Nurses Federation (MGNF) president Shubhmangal Bhakt, secretary Indumati Thorat and other office-bearers including Draupadi Kardile, Mahendra Savale, Makarand Udaykar and Nawaz Syed along with 50 other sisters participated in the agitation. The GMCH team comprising medical superintendent Dr Kashinath Chaudhary, an officer on special duty at Superspeciality Block Dr Sudhir Chaudhary, Dr Suresh Harbade and Dr Vikas Rathod then had a discussion with them and lend their ears towards their grievances.

Dr Kashinath Chaudhary said, " The matter was discussed with the dean Dr Kanan Yelikar and it has been decided to borrow salines provided for Covid patients to treat the non-Covid patients." The medicine is supplied by Haffkine and indeed there is some delay in the supply, it is learnt.