SHILLONG, May 31: Health and Family Welfare Minister, Alexander Laloo Hek on Monday said that he had sought a detailed report on the circumstances that led to the death of a six and half months pregnant staff nurse of Ganesh Das Hospital, Manisha Turnia on Sunday.
Talking to reporters, Hek said that he had received information about this and definitely he would be seeking a report on this.
Meanwhile, Director of Health Services (MI), Dr. Aman Warr clarified that the staff nurse who succumbed to the Covid-19 infection was not doing Covid duties.
According to him, when an employee has already given the information that she is carrying such health workers are not put in Covid duty.
“Similarly this particular staff nurse was never put on Covid-19 duties. She was given duties in the general ward,” Dr. Warr said.
Meanwhile, DHS (MI) said that at this point of time, it was difficult to allow health care workers who are carrying, to continue with do their duties.
“We have written to the state government that they should be exempted from doing duties and we should have a replacement in their place. We are happy the government has agreed to our request,” Dr. Warr informed.
When asked that the government on May 17 last had issued an order that pregnant women should not attend office, he said that the instruction is that all pregnant women are not to attend office and to work from home in these times of Covid-19 pandemic.
“But the Health worker in no way can work from home. Sometimes what happens we have casualties and these are sad things happen. It is only with the Covid-19 but it is with other diseases also. That is a challenge we always face as health workers right from the doctors down up to the health workers. We cannot say 100 percent you will never get this infection,” Dr. Warr said.
He also clarified that the hospital authorities cannot be blamed and practically the hospital is the safest place.
“All health workers sometimes have to go out for marketing and in the process they mingle with a lot of people. We cannot exactly blame that they infected the virus from the hospital,” DHS (MI) said.
According to him, he is not talking only about Covid-19 and this is also connected with other infections also.
“It is because of this we have asked staff to take maximum precautions to see that the transmission of disease can be avoided by taking care of ourselves,” Dr. Warr said.
On the assistance to be provided to the bereaved family of the staff nurse, he said that they have an insurance of Rs 50 lakh besides the ex-gratia payment and also other facilities which they get from the state government.
DHS (MI) further informed that they have around 40 health care workers across the State who are infected with Covid-19 adding that there are two casualties.
Meanwhile, Trained Nurses’ Association of India, (Meghalaya State Branch) expresses their profound grief at the loss of one of their colleagues Nurse Manisha Turnia in the battle against COVID-19.
The association stated that the demise of the staff nurse is a great loss to the nursing fraternity in general and to the Institute (Ganesh Das Govt. MCH hospital) where she was working and dedicated her service till her last days.
