Doctors deputed at a dedicated Covid-19 hospital are demanding more facilities, including furniture and entertainment centre, for themselves and the nursing staff.

Talking to The Telegraph Online, one of the doctors of Primary Health Center at Jagjivan Nagar said, “We want proper furniture like chairs and tables, besides entertainment facilities like a Television. We also want warm water and freshly-cooked food facility at the hospital”.

Another doctor requesting anonymity said nursing staff need a proper restroom as they face a lot of problems. “We want proper facilities so that we can work with enthusiasm. Without furniture, we can’t take proper rest as working under the strenuous condition for eight hours requires proper rest.”

“Moreover, we also don’t get freshly-cooked food and milk as these things are quite necessary for those who are regularly exposed to Covid patients,” said a doctor, adding the hospital also lacks entertainment facilities like Television for relaxation for the medical staff.

At present, six doctors are deputed for one week in the hospital and are allotted duty in three shifts of two doctors each. After one week of duty, they are sent to 14 days of quarantine following which they again join duty.

Echoing the same sentiments, state president of IMA Dr A.K. Singh said, “We had raised the issue of lack of facilities in the hospital earlier when some demands were made by the deputed doctors and accordingly facilities were increased. Now, in wake of fresh demands, we will put forth the issue with Dhanbad deputy commissioner Amit Kumar.”

The appeals come a day after the state unit of Indian Medical Association demanded home isolation facility for Covid positive doctors with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic as well as a cabin facility for infected doctors having moderate/severe symptoms.

Notably, 26 journalists of Dhanbad who were admitted to the Covid hospital on July 7, had also complained about the lack of cleanliness and poor quality of amenities like food. Other patients of the Covid hospital had also complained about insects in breakfast served to them.

The district administration has made improvements in the quality of food following the issue raised by the journalists and BCCL had also appointed two managers for the maintenance of facilities in the hospital.

“We were not aware of the lack of facilities of doctors as nobody raised the issue with us. We will immediately take up the issue and make necessary arrangements like providing a television set and furniture for the doctors at the hospital” said Dhanbad sub-divisional officer Raj Maheshwaram.