Private hospitals may close down anytime, say doctors

Dimapur, Aug. 6 (EMN): There seems to be no respite for healthcare workers in the state despite extensive awareness campaign among the public not to stigmatise frontline workers amid Covid-19 pandemic.

The Nagaland Private Doctors’ Association (NPDA) on Thursday wrote a letter to the deputy commissioner of Dimapur stating that private hospitals would be compelled to withdraw all essential services and close down anytime if the authorities fail to take appropriate action on those obstructing the healthcare workers from performing their duties.

‘The workforce of a hospital is brought down to half since doctors, nursing staff, paramedics, administrative staff and sanitation workers are banned from executing their duties in hospital by their respective colonies, for fear of contracting Covid-19 from them,’ the letter read, adding that this has put private hospitals in Nagaland under immense pressure in rendering effective services to the public.

The NPDA said that healthcare workers are denied entry to their own homes, in their respective colonies after working long stressful hours in understaffed healthcare facilities and colony youth/in-charge often demand a “negative Covid-19 test report” for entering the colony.

“Private Hospitals are faced with innumerable hardships on a daily basis and with further reduction in workforce and social stigma; most hospitals and diagnostic centres have closed doors, further hampering emergency services for those non-Covid, high-risk patients and general patients,” it wrote.

“Even upon several reminders, notices and circulars, the public in their respective colonies have failed to understand the value of healthcare professionals and their allied services and this has threatened the only lifeline of the public,” it added.

The association has urged the district administration to immediately stop discrimination on the healthcare professionals and its allied services and use its power as per the Epidemic Act.