Ghaziabad: Plea to restore 14 days’ quarantine for health workers

GHAZIABAD: The district president of provincial medical services association wrote to its state office on Thursday seeking the resumption of 14 day institutional quarantine system for health workers who have completed Covid duty for a fortnight.
Government doctors and paramedical staff in the district had earlier complained against the state’s decision to do away with the system of 14 days’ mandatory quarantine in hotels and other accommodations after Covid duty.
Dr Deepa Tyagi, Ghaziabad president of the association, said the letter was sent on Thursday. “We are in touch with our state-level officials. Health workers who are treating Covid patients and continuously staying in hospitals are not happy with the order at all. A few rooms in hospitals could be spared for doctors and staff for passive quarantine, if other arrangements are not working out.”
According to the state government directive issued on Monday, after working at a Covid ward for 14 days, health workers would be tested and they will stay at a quarantine facility till the reports are in. Those tested positive will be admitted to a Covid hospital, and those who test negative will be sent into home quarantine for two days. After that, they will be posted for non-Covid duty.
Since the incubation period for the virus is about 14 days, health workers had said that being in home quarantine for two days will expose the family members and other patients to the risks of contracting the virus.
A doctor posted at the District Combined Hospital, an L-2 Covid facility, said: “The two day home quarantine after Covid duty does not cover the incubation period of the virus. If someone gets exposed on the last day of duty(14th day), then in all likelihood, the person will start showing symptoms in five to 14 days. By that time, she/he would have infected the family and also other patients. If the new order is not scrapped, a delegation of doctors will meet the chief minister.”