Sacked Covid+ve nurse, 83 staffers approach HC

July 24, 2020 10:09

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A nurse of HAH Centenary Hospital, infected with COVID-19, has knocked the door of the Delhi High Court challenging termination of her employment and other 83 staff members of the hospitals.

Gufrana Khatoon, a nurse of COVID-19 designated HAH Centenary Hospital of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research (HIMSR), was infected and tested positive for coronavirus on July 3 and she was not provided free testing despite showing symptoms of COVID-19.

In the termination order dated July 11, HAH Centenary Hospital administration stated that these nurses were being relieved because of 'absence from office without sanctioned leave and absent without intimation'.

However, several of them were on duty till July 11 and others were in quarantine, read the petition filed by lawyer Subhash Chandran.

They have also demanded to formulate a COVID-19 Management Protocol for addressing the serious concerns relating to imminent and extreme risks posed to the health and safety of health care workers in the national capital and to ensure that COVID-19 protection kits are made available to every single health care professional working in the corona isolation wards, or who work in close proximity of patients suspected to be infected with the virus.

The petitioner said that the staff was terminated when they demanded access to basic facilities like N-95 masks, sufficient numbers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), better working hours, drinking water, free COVID-19 tests, adequate quarantine facilities for healthcare staffers during COVID-19 duty.

According to the petition, despite the government order, the HAH Centenary Hospital of Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences & Research terminated a large group of health care professionals only for raising legitimate concerns in the context of COVID-19.

"The step taken by the hospital management to dismiss 84 nursing officers is arbitrary and clearly in violation of the government directives. It is pertinent to mention that there are specific directives from both Central and State Government against termination of employees and reduction of wages during COVID-19 time," read the petition.

The petitioner has been appointed as a staff nurse in HAH Centenary Hospital on May 16, 2017, and the contractual appointment has been renewed from time to time till September 11 this year.The petition said that the decision to terminate the 84 nurses is clearly a retaliatory move against the health care staffers for having raised legitimate concerns in the context of COVID-19. -- ANI

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