Pinarayi Vijayan writes to Maharashtra counterpart, urges alleviation of nurses' concerns

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, demanding immediate action to alleviate the concerns of nurses hailing from Kerala. Initially, he referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video conference where it was decided to accord top priority to providing personal protection equipment to the healthcare workers. Thereafter, Vijayan pinpointed news reports about nurses working in Mumbai testing positive for COVID-19. Highlighting that a majority of the nursing community in Maharashtra was from Kerala, Vijayan revealed that his government was receiving frantic calls from the former. 

He claimed that the nurses who tested positive for the novel coronavirus and others were being kept in the same space. Moreover, he called upon Thackeray to ensure PPE and secure accommodation for the hospital staff. Additionally, he requested the Maharashtra administration to urgently examine the on-ground situation pertaining to healthcare workers. Currently, there are 4281 confirmed novel coronavirus cases in India out of which 319 people have recovered while 111 individuals have lost their lives. 

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Nurses' unions write to BMC

Earlier in the day, a number of Nurses' unions wrote to BMC Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi raising safety concerns faced by nurses while treating the novel coronavirus patients. The letter stated that the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the nursing staff is not adequate and the hospital administration was not taking requisite measures for infection control. It mentioned that many nurses were forced to use public transport and not getting nutritious food, putting them at grave risk of contracting the COVID-19 infection.

Alleging that the hospitals were not providing test reports to nurses who were suspected of having the novel coronavirus, the letter added that essential facilities such as beds and mattresses were not provided to the quarantined nurses. Some of the demands listed in the letter include ensuring an adequate supply of PPE, 14-day mandatory quarantine for nurses irrespective of COVID-19 test results, counselling services, accommodation close to hospitals and free treatment for nurses. Furthermore, the unions have urged the inclusion of nursing personnel in all statewide committees of Maharashtra government for participation in decision-making. 

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