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| GMC&H admin in dock for allegedly jeopardizing lives of frontline staff | | Violating social distancing, frontline workers huddle together in mini bus | |  EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 5: The administration of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) is allegedly endangering the lives of frontline staff working there as the administration has failed to ensure social distancing norms in the buses, which ply on various routes to transport these workers to the hospital and back to their homes.
A video of a staff bus of GMC&H went viral on social media sites on Wednesday in which a white colour mini bus, with name of Government Medical College and Hospital written on its both sides could be seen breaking the security checkpoints at various locations in between GMC&H and Satwari road.
The passengers inside the bus could be seen huddled together in total violation of social distancing norms, as mandated by the Union Territory administration in the public transport buses. All the seats are found to be occupied by the passengers while in the aisle between the seats, the passengers could be seen standing along with the door of the bus, the video clip circulated on social media reveals.
“Though the administration has been passing instructions to the passenger carry public transport operators to ensure social distancing and to carry passengers, half to the sitting capacity but government transport operators openly violate these norms, which was evident from the video of the bus of GMC&H”, a local said, adding that there was no fault of the frontline staff members, who were sitting in the bus but the onus lies on the administration.
The public transport is off the roads but the frontline staff members are to visit the hospital as per their routine and in absence of public transport the only convenience is the GMC&H’s bus. “The staff members are large in number during peak times due to which there is extra staff in the bus, making it impossible to maintain social distancing”, an official said, adding that but in return it was jeopardizing the lives of the frontline staff as many of these staff members were engaged in the COVID-19 wards, where there were many possibilities of infection.
The GMC&H administration should depute extra buses to the routes, where there was more staff load, so that social distancing norms could be followed on these routes, otherwise if the frontline workers would get infected the fight against virus would turn worse. “It is still unknown as to if the GMC&H has scarcity of staff buses or the problem arises due to shutdown of public transport services but the administration should ensure safety of the frontline staff at any cost”, an official said.
When tried to contact GMC&H Principal Dr Shashi Sudan Sharma for her comments she didn’t pick up the phone. |
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