Cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty has warned that when the continuing downside of oxygen disaster that Covid sufferers are going through throughout the nation is tackled, the subsequent large problem would be the scarcity of medical doctors and nurses to deal with sufferers.
Speaking at a digital convention on interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare hosted by Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Dr. Shetty mentioned, “Once the oxygen problem is solved, the next problem over the next few weeks will be the death of patients in ICUs because there are no nurses and doctors to take care of them. This is going to happen. I have no doubt about it.”
He added, “It can be extremely hot in May and even the fittest people find it difficult to work in Covid ICUs for four to five hours. Doctors who have been working since the first wave of the pandemic, they are mentally fatigued, suffering burnouts and many among them are getting infected.”
Dr. Shetty additionally mentioned that for each one that checks optimistic within the nation, there are 5-10 different people who find themselves contaminated with the virus however they aren’t examined. This implies that there will be 5-10 lakh people who find themselves truly getting contaminated every single day.
Need to create 5 lakh extra ICU beds
Dr. Shetty mentioned that statistically, 5% of Covid sufferers want ICU beds no matter their age, which implies there’s a demand for 80,000 ICU beds each day. But India has 70,000-90,000 such beds and all of them are occupied already though the second wave of the pandemic has not reached its peak but. Moreover, a Covid affected person spends a minimal of 10 days within the ICU. Therefore, there’s a must create a minimum of 5 lakh extra ICU beds within the subsequent few weeks.
Should recruit 2 lakh nurses quickly to deal with disaster
He identified that within the ICU, Covid sufferers are predominantly depending on nurses. “We need to produce 2 lakh nurses and 1.5 lakh doctors who are dedicated in managing Covid for the next one year,” Dr Shetty mentioned. He added that there are 2.20 lakh nurses who’ve completed their coaching for three-year GNM or four-year BSc programs in varied nursing colleges and schools throughout the nation however are but to take their remaining exams. These educated nurses must be given the choice to work in Covid ICUs for a yr, following which they’ll get their diploma certificates.
Doctors who work in Covid ICUs will be given grace marks in NEET
Dr. Shetty mentioned there are 1.30 lakh younger medical doctors right now sitting within the library mugging away to reply MCQs to crack the NEET entrance examination to get an elusive PG seat. The National Medical Commission together with the National Board of Examination ought to conduct NEET on-line instantly and declare the outcomes quickly. Even after that, the 1 lakh medical doctors who fail to make the reduce must be allowed to work in Covid ICUs, following which they need to be given grace marks of their entrance exams the subsequent yr.
Physicians who accomplished PG coaching can skip examination to work in ICUs
Moreover, he mentioned, there are 25,000 medical doctors who’ve completed their postgraduate coaching however they haven’t appeared for the examination but. These college students will be informed that they’ll skip the examination and get their levels offered they work in Covid ICUs for one yr. Moreover, the same possibility must be given to the 90,000-1 lakh medical doctors who’ve graduated from abroad universities however haven’t cleared a nationwide entrance examination. Rendering companies within the ICUs for a yr ought to make them eligible to get registration certificates.
Focus must be on tier-II and tier-III cities
Dr. Shetty additional mentioned that whereas deputing these medical doctors and nurses, the main target must be firmly on tier-II and tier-III cities. Unlike metros, these cities do not need non-public hospitals and the federal government hospitals there are severely hamstrung by scarcity of stuff. Unless extra healthcare employees are recruited there, the situation in tier-II and tier-III cities will change into as unhealthy as in Delhi or Mumbai quickly, Dr. Shetty mentioned.
