It is laudable that our Honourable Prime Minister is putting all possible efforts to enhance the medical resources. Resources include primarily the Men and the Material. While the industry has been given a push to meet the demands, it is absolutely essential to manage our skilled man power too.

One way is to pool all health man power from possible sources such as doctors, nurses, medical students, nursing students, paramedics and even the volunteers. It is nice that such important decisions are in discussions right now.

Equally important task is to sustain and retain the manpower. Looking after them should be our bigger responsibility as a National resource. Though “Universal precautions” are being talked about for many years, hardly they have been put into practice uniformly in our country. Time has come that we guide them particularly the young graduates appropriately, to make the pool stronger and work better.

The country should not loose such valuable resources at any cost and should not leave any stone unturned to achieve this goal. Minimum basic standards should be defined and should be enforced all across the country. I think the medical colleges must take the lead role, in such a way to define our “National standards”. All seniors should take active role setting the standards and teaching.

Minimum standards for all Health Workers during the Pandemic:

1. Dress code- to wear simple scrubs, while on duty (avoid street clothes)
2. Standard Face mask
3. Compulsory Face shield
4. Treatment gowns for wards
5. Standard PPE for Critical care units
6. Facility to frequent hand wash and sanitation of hands
7. Clinical protocols to deliver the responsibility with minimum exposure
8. Distribution of man power to minimise the duration of exposure to reduce the viral load
9. Ensure adequate supply, not to compromise the protocol
10. No personal gadgets, all official gadgets including phones, properly maintained while on duty
11. Allocation of different categories of work based on experience and seniority
12. Immediate treatment and isolation at the earliest on suspicion of contracting the disease. Off course it goes without saying about vaccination of all of them on priority.

All these will help avoiding self-contamination and also spread to others either through contact or fomites (clothes, gadgets, bags, utensil etc). On the other hand, it can enhance the overall ability and sustainability for longer times.

The present virus in circulation is not exempting the younger generation. This certainly helps in avoiding the spread also indirectly to their families or friends.

Such systems are the need of the hour, across the country in order to protect our valuable human resources. Hopefully it should be implemented as soon as possible for the effective management our own system.

Dr. NK Venkataramana, Founder Chairman & Director Neurosciences, Brains Hospital, Bangalore