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HomeHealthRajasthan doctor tweets picture of IAS officer wearing full PPE, medical staff...

Rajasthan doctor tweets picture of IAS officer wearing full PPE, medical staff in just masks

Amid the nationwide shortage of PPE kits, Dr Pankaj Meena Khoker wrote alongside the picture — ‘I don’t think Modi’s promise is working here’.

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New Delhi: At a time when doctors across the country are facing shortages of protective gear required when treating patients infected with Covid-19, a Rajasthan-based doctor has highlighted how a district collector was seen wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), while medical staff standing next to him had none.

A picture tweeted by the doctor, Pankaj Meena Khoker, has gone viral. The picture was accompanied by a short message: “When an IAS officer wears a full PPE kit and doctors wear normal clothes and mask……I don’t think Modi’s promise is working here.”

— Pankaj Meena Khoker (@dr_pankajmeena) April 3, 2020

The picture seems to be from Indore in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, as written on the wall behind the IAS officer in the picture.

The tweet comes at a time when over 50 healthcare professionals — including doctors, nurses, and other paramedical staff — in India have tested positive for Covid-19.

In a nationwide survey conducted by the central government in late March, IAS officers from across districts too had highlighted the shortage of medical and protective equipment needed to battle the deadly pandemic.


Also read: What is PPE, and why it is essential in the fight against coronavirus


Should IAS officers’ safety be prioritised over doctors’?

The doctor’s tweet has generated a debate on whether IAS officers can be classified as an ‘essential service’ and need the protective gear, or should the protection of doctors be prioritised.

 

According to some reports, there has been a sense of alarm among Indian healthcare professionals, with doctors maintaining that there is a shortage of PPE in India.

Earlier in March, the World Health Organization warned that “severe and mounting disruption to the global supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) — caused by rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse — is putting lives at risk from the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases”.

“Healthcare workers rely on personal protective equipment to protect themselves and their patients from being infected and infecting others,” WHO had said.

“But shortages are leaving doctors, nurses and other frontline workers dangerously ill-equipped to care for Covid-19 patients, due to limited access to supplies such as gloves, medical masks, respirators, goggles, face shields, gowns, and aprons,” it added.


Also read: Govt wants report on PPE, ventilator, test kit stock, asks states, UTs to reply by 5 April


 

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14 COMMENTS

  1. These corrupt officer who think of their own should be removed from their position . In this time where doctors are struggling to get the minimum facilities so that they can treat patients, these fat headed people are still misusing the resources .How can these people who kept licking the feets of politicians whole life till retirement can be given so much importance and piwer . Because of these slow working people ,every process in India get slowed down . These paper pushing people will never understand their role . And how even they can who studied politics and history for whole life can understand the science . For them misuse of power is seen as a pride.
    On one hand where doctors are losing their life while fighting as frontline warrior these are still not supporting them.
    Bureaucracy should be more transparent .
    These bureaucratic robot once established by britisher to squeeze blood of innocent Indian are still working to do same.
    Indian got independence from britisher but can’t able to remove their illegitimate birth.

  2. This is not a new thing. These corrupt officer who think of their own should be removed from their position . In this time where doctors are struggling to get the minimum facilities so that they can treat patients, these fat headed people are still misusing the resources .How can these people who kept licking the lof politicians whole life till retirement can be given so much importance and piwer . Because of these slow working people ,every process in India get slowed down . These paper pushing people will never understand their role . And how even they can who studied politics and history for whole life can understand the science . For them misuse of power is seen as a pride.
    On one hand where doctors are losing their life while fighting as frontline warrior these are still not supporting them.
    Bureaucracy should be more transparent .
    These bureaucratic robot once established by britisher to squeeze blood of innocent Indian are still working to do same.
    Indian got independence from britisher but can’t able to remove their illegitimate birth.

  3. We have to provide ppe to all front line staff compoulsorily. No negotiations in this. IAS wearing ppe can not questioned.

  4. It is simple that some elements who are dead brains are making fun of our govt. If you ask them have they done anything for our country and it’s citizens!
    I am sure they will look blank, and then their heads will start spinning!!! Good for nothing nerds!

  5. IAS has become punching bag for the unsuccessful, inefficient and corrupt who envy their powers but are not ready to work hard like them at all

  6. Those who fail in UPSC make it their profession to curse IAS and the sacrifices that they make at personal, professional and financial levels.

  7. How can doctors compare themselves with IAS? IAS has knowledge of all fields and also works for common people at paltry amount while doctors know only one part of human body and are highly corrupt and incompetence. Wrong diagnosis, kickbacks from agent(even Modiji mentioned it), incomplete knowledge about their subjects and weak ethics have become norms in the medical industry.

    These people don’t want to go and work in rural areas while IAS spend their youth in the service of marginalized in far flung areas. Also, we have 10 lakh doctors and only 4500 IAS. So, by sheer number life of IAS is much much important for national interest.

    So doctors should rightly demand for PPE kits but not compare themselves with IAS. PERIOD!

    • Please don’t visit a doctor ever in your life if you have such views against them. Please encourage doctors during this hard time. This is the most negative comment I’ve seen during this Pandemic.

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