COVID-19: IMA writes to PM Modi over AIIMS discontinuing contact tracing of exposed HCW

The Indian Medical Associaton (IMA) on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, expressing strong resentment over AIIMS decision that only the symptomatic health care workers will be tested for COVID-19, only those testing positive will be isolated and the quarantine of asymptomatic contacts will be discontinued.

Calling the AIIMS approach an "unhumanitarian attitude" towards health care workers (HCW), IMA in its letter stated, "When the healthcare worker (HCW) is exposed to COVID positive patient and get asymptomatic COVID, he is still a carrier and can spread infection to many in the pretext of executing treatment to poor patients. Not testing their disease status at the pretext of shortage of staff is lethal to fraternity and community."

"If the HCW is symptomatic he will be tested and if positive only 10 days quarantine is permitted. This is an absolute infringement on the basic right of HCW as a citizen to get minimum adequate care, support and time to revamp. MoHFW guidelines mandate minimum 17-day quarantine and rest after symptomatic cold," IMA said while adding that various other hospitals have started following the AIIMS norm.

IMA said it wanted to ring alarm bells to highlight the impending manpower shortage if the AIIMS did not roll back its order. "If you tax and overstretch the existing staff, we will land up in acute crisis," it said.

IMA's resentment is in view of AIIMS decision on April 23, when the latter said, "In view of the current situation of COVID-19 leading to insufficient resources for contact tracing, and shortages of staff, the risk assessment and contact tracing of exposed HCW and quarantine of asymptomatic contacts should be discontinued. Only the symptomatic HCW should be tested and only those testing positives be isolated and managed as per the clinical condition."

AIIMS had further asked the asymptomatic health care workers to resume duties after 10 days from the date of the first positive test, provided they neither feel feverish at least for last 24 hours nor have any symptoms such as cough or breathlessness.

IMA has further appealed to PM Modi to conduct the NEET PG and INCET PG exams on war footing, so as to get more postgraduate and junior doctors who would join the services and add to the workforce as the country grapples with COVID-19. "1.78 lakh doctors are waiting for the exams, and till exams are over, they will not join the service," read the letter.

"IMA is looking forward to have your compassionate empathy towards the working HCW in the AIIMS and other health care institutions and revoke this order to provide early testing, comprehensive assured treatment opportunity for Health Care workers by allotting separate dedicated beds for them and handle with empathy towards HCW, suffering with the COVID-19 disease," IMA said in its letter to the prime minister.