Use 44,000 youths trained in health sector to plug medical staff shortage: Govt to states
New Delhi: Amid a shortage of healthcare workers to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Narendra Modi government has advised states and union territories to utilise the services of nearly 44,000 youths who have been trained in the sector under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana (DDUGKY).
In a letter to chief secretaries in states and UTs Monday, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Rural Development, said roughly 44,000 youths have been trained in the healthcare sector under the scheme, which imparts training in 560 trades under 54 sectors through 717 projects across the country. ThePrint has seen the letter.
It is suggested that services of these trained youths, if not employed, may be utilised by states and UTs. This would be extremely helpful in augmenting the front line of health workers to treat the current challenge in the fight to check spread of Covid-19, said Bhushan.
These youths have been trained as assistants in anaesthesia, cadio care, blood bank, basic health, dialysis, emergency medical, ventilators, radiology and operation theatre segments, according to the DDUGKY website.
Shortage of healthcare workers
The move has come as states are starting at a shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly trained nurses and ward boys, technicians and surgical staff.
In many parts of the country, healthcare workers are refusing to treat coronavirus-infected patients in the absence of protective gear.
Several doctors and contractual workers have threatened to resign in North Delhi Municipal Corporation-run Hindu Rao Hospital over lack of protective health infrastructure for them.
In Delhi alone, seven doctors have tested positive for the novel coronavirus so far — two from Safdarjung Hospital, two from mohalla clinics, one each at the Delhi State Cancer Institute and the Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, and one from a private clinic.
The Delhi government has ordered rotational shifts at hospitals to plug shortage of doctors, and also considering the fatigue factor among them.
In Noida, the chief medical officer has invited private doctors to volunteers for eight hours in hospitals due to shortage of anaesthetists, physicians and critical care workers. There are only 14 doctors in one of the city’s two hospitals.
Several nurses and doctors have made similar demands in Bihar hospitals. Many other states are facing the same situation, with a shortage of staff.
Suggestions
As the global pandemic nears the million cases-mark, countries across the world are struggling with shortage of workers and protective equipment. To deal with this, the countries are devising their own methods.
In the United Kingdom, the government has asked 65,000 retired nurses and doctors and final year students to report to work.
The Modi government is exploring the suggestion of allowing final-year medical students for Covid-19 treatment.
Devi Prasad Shetty, renowned cardiac surgeon and founder of Narayana Health hospital, asked the government last week to draft fifth-year medical students into the health system to treat Covid-19 patients. Present government rules don’t allow this.
“India is the only country in the world which, just by changing MCI regulations, can produce over 1.5 lakh doctors and specialists out of thin air. This is our greatest ammunition against the Covid-19 pandemic,” Shetty said.
Highlighting the risk to doctors aged above 50, Shetty said there is no use of employing retired doctors and nurses.
If the infection numbers reach a larger scale, the government can allow students to treat Covid-19 patient to augment the front line workers, said a member of the Covid-19 task force who didn’t wish to be named
The print
