Murmurs of dissent have cropped up at the premier government-run healthcare hub Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, which is at the forefront of Jharkhand’s battle against the novel coronavirus.

A section of anaesthetists are leant to have levelled allegations of bias in deputation for duty at the RIMS trauma centre, which has been converted into a Covid-19 centre.

A RIMS official told The Telegraph that a team of anaesthetists met the RIMS director Dr D.K. Singh and apprised him of their complaint.

“According to them while doctors from those departments having intensive care units (ICUs) are supposed to be deputed on duty by rotation at the Covid centre, doctors from only the anaesthesia department are being chosen for the job,” the RIMS official, who spoke under cover of anonymity for obvious reasons. “Even from the anaesthesia department only the junior-most doctors, who have no say, are being deputed. The anaesthetists told the director that they were being used as sacrificial lambs in the war against Covid-19.

“The doctors said initially they were asked to remain on round-the-clock duty for three days at a stretch but now they are being asked to remain on 24-hour duty for five days each before going into 14-day quarantine,” the official added.

A junior doctor at RIMS, who also requested anonymity, pointed to a 17-member task force that has been constituted at RIMS for the fight against the novel coronavirus.

“The task force is under RIMS medical superintendent Dr Vivek Kashyap and it is doing all these things. We junior doctors pursuing our postgraduate degrees are supposed to work under the guidance of seniors but we are deputed for Covid-19 duty. We have to live in quarantine to take care of patients while no senior doctor is in quarantine with us. The seniors just guide us over the phone. They come and sit in the office of the medical superintendent and return to their homes,” the junior doctor alleged.

Contacted for comment, RIMS medical superintendent Dr Kashyap dismissed the allegation.

“The allegation is not justified. Such things are happening due to fear. I have today (Monday) made them understand how to take proper safety precautions. They have been deputed for the job in which they have expertise. Doctors have been deputed on four fronts in the war against Covid-19 at RIMS. These include a 24x7 help desk, a screening centre, an isolation ward and the Covid centre. At the Covid centre, there are two sections. One section to handle mild cases and another section to handle major cases where so far one case has reached,” Dr Kashyap said.

“Anaesthetists are required there (at the section for serious cases) only on call. As far as sending to quarantine is concerned, it depends on the quantum of exposure not on the number of days they are being given duty,” he added.

Dr Kashyap stressed that he was also concerned about being just to all doctors.

RIMS director Dr Singh, on his part, expressed concern over the attitude of senior doctors. “Actually, senior faculties are keeping a distance (from the Covid centre). All those faculties who had come to me are new appointments recruited by me. I was just thinking if I would have not started a trauma centre and not recruited faculties and senior residents how they (the RIMS seniors) would have managed,” Dr Singh said.