Stop posting health staff with comorbidities on COVID duty: Plea

A division bench comprising Justice MM Sundresh and Justice R Hemalatha ordered notice returnable in two weeks.

The association general secretary Dr G Ravindranath submitted that the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicines issued specific circulars in April restricting hospital authorities from deploying health professionals having comorbid conditions like those on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, those who underwent transplant procedure, chronic kidney disease (CKD), uncontrolled diabetes or any other severe comorbid condition for COVID-19 duty.

But notwithstanding this order, several hospitals, including Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Omandurar Medical College and Multi Super Specialty Hospital, were forcing doctors who are around 50 years and suffering from chronic diseases/health conditions, including diabetes on insulin therapy, hypertension, asthma, and pregnant and lactating mothers with infants, to undertake COVID-19 and related duties.

The plea claimed that countless number of doctors have already contracted the infection and recently a senior lab technician Dheenadhayalan, of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital – MMC, who was from diabetes on insulin therapy, died due to COVID-19 infection, and said the move to post such persons on COVID duty demoralised senior healthcare professionals.