The caregivers - whom swine flu patients in the city look up to for cure - have themselves been left at God's mercy.
Doctors and paramedic staff associated with the treatment and collection of swab samples of swine flu patients in the city are worried about their own safety. Most of them have not been provided with requisite protection - vaccination and personal protective equipment (PPE) - to shield against the infection.
According to the World Health Organization guidelines, all health workers in close contact with swine flu patients, should be vaccinated for the disease and given personal protective equipment (PPE) as they are at high risk of contracting the disease. The PPE set includes mask, head cap, apron, shoe cover and goggles among other items.
Of the 22 throat swab samples tested at Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences on Sunday, five tested positive. Of those, one case is from Lakhisarai, another from Motihari and the rest from Patna. So far, 26 positive cases of swine flu have been detected.
Sources said the flu vaccine, when given to someone, starts working after 10-15 days. Doctors fear they would contract the disease even if vaccinated, as the vaccine becomes effective after a fortnight.
Doctors and paramedic staff at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) are the most worried. Till Sunday, nine swine flu patients were admitted at IDH but its doctors said they were yet to be vaccinated. If that were not enough, they have not been provided with sufficient number of PPE. "Of the nine swine flu patients, seven are confirmed cases and the rest are suspected. We are at high risk of contracting the disease because we have not been given requisite protective gear," said a doctor at IDH.
"Forget about vaccination, we have not even been provided with sufficient number of PPE. All the employees of the hospital had got only one set of equipment even though they are supposed to use each set only once," added the doctor.
He said he performed his duties only with an apron on instead of a full set of PPE apart from the N-95 mask for his protection.
Former Patna Medical College and Hospital microbiology department head S.N. Sharma also admitted that once used, the same gear cannot be reused: "There is no option than to destroy the PPE set, once it is used."
Doctors associated with PMCH are as worried as their peers in IDH. A virologist associated with PMCH, preferring anonymity, said: "Till date, none of the doctors of my department has been vaccinated, which is absolutely preposterous. Doctors are not angels. They are also vulnerable to the disease like anybody else," rued the microbiologist adding: "PPE has not been given to us. We bought triple-layered masks on our own," said a doctor at the PMCH's microbiology department.
A doctor at PMCH said: "Two days ago at a meeting, I had requested principal health secretary to get the doctors engaged in the treatment and collection of samples of swine flu patients vaccinated but nothing has been done yet."
Sources said on Thursday, there were rumours that PMCH doctors had denied admission to a swine flu positive patient. "Later, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences confirmed that the patient had tested positive. Pressure was created on senior officials of the health department after which the patient was admitted to PMCH on Friday. "We doctors are helpless. If we are not provided with adequate protection, such incidents are bound to recur," said a PMCH doctor.
Principal health secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said: "One batch of PPE sets has been provided to doctors, while the second lot comprising 500 PPE sets have arrived and would soon be distributed."
