Covid service providers deserve shorter duty shift
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: June 14, 2021 -

REGARDLESS of the gradual decline in the number of single day cases and test positivity rate for the past few days something to relish about, it needs no reminding that the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic shall have to be sustained collectively.

Though it is possible that substantial number of people might not be volunteering to join the mass testing drive to confirm own health status in-spite of suspecting that he/ she might have inadvertently come in close contact with infected people, extensive on-the-spot sample examination programmes at different localities and random street-side testing of curfew violators could be some of the factors for plateauing or dipping of positive cases.

Had the government initiated similar mass testing drives when there were only few cases, the pandemic situation might not have aggravated as it is today but it is understandable that being a new disease and the virus mutating into highly transmissible variants the containment measures would have to be pursued as per the evolving scenario.

Even if the mass drive and follow-up contact tracing exercises cannot guarantee complete detection of the infected people, these initiatives are certain to force potential vectors to remain at home rather than loitering around in the locality or coming out in public places, consequently preventing further spread of the pandemic.

As such, the mass testing and random checking should continue till the health authorities, and not policy makers or bureaucrats, are fully convinced that the virus has been tamed. Under no circumstance should the traditional decision makers take a call on the virus situation without the consent of the health experts.

As it is the healthcare workers who have been at the forefront of battling the contagion for the last many months contrary to the government leaders patting themselves and making tall claims at the slightest hint of fall in the virus cases, the earlier mistakes of prematurely easing the containment measures shouldn't be repeated.

Moreover, significance of role and service of the healthcare personnel in fighting the invisible enemy has already been underscored by chief minister N Biren when he stressed the need for strengthening coordination among the state's healthcare institutions for effective containment of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as close coordination between the doctors and nurses.

As stated by the chief minister on the sidelines of inaugurating the new Covid unit at JNIMS hospital, priority of the government is to save as many lives as possible.

His emphasis on harmonious working between the healthcare service providers and the state's machinery testifies that doctors and nurses are invaluable assets at this hour of the coronavirus crisis.

While it is obvious that the government shall have to galvanise all available resources to sustain the battle, rapport among the healthcare personnel will ultimately decide how soon the fight will be effectively over.

As there is no doubt that survival of critically ill Covid patients will depend on the dedicated service of the medical personnel, hospital authorities too should ensure that doctors and nurses working clad in the energy sapping PPE suits are not detailed for duty to the extent of complete exhaustion.

Rather, it is desired that the staffers in Covid wards are rotated in the shortest possible duty shift.