The death of a worker posted at Mumbai's KEM hospital triggered a protest by employees on Tuesday alleging apathy by the city civic body towards their working conditions amid the coronavirus crisis. The employees went on a strike demanding concrete steps from the civic body.
A staff union member said the contractual daily labourer was not sanctioned a sick leave despite him complaining about body pains and fever after having worked in the COVID-19 ward for the last few days.
"The worker had complained of body ache and weakness over the last two days but he was not sanctioned leave," he said. The official claimed that the worker hardly received any treatment and was not even tested for coronavirus.
"His death shows the apathy of the BMC administration towards us. If we are not given (any basic protection like) gloves and face shields, our life could be in danger," he said.
However, Dean of KEM Hospital, Dr Hemant Deshmukh, said the worker was sanctioned leave after May 16. "He went to a local doctor in Thane, and started taking treatment. He died yesterday," the dean said.
Like other healthcare facilities, the KEM Hospital, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has been stretched to the limit because of rising virus cases and inadequate staff.
The protestors sought better safety measures for the staff, residential arrangements for those serving virus-hit patients. They also raised concerns about the lack of any life insurance cover to the healthcare providers.
Dr Deshmukh said the staff wanted to know about the further process for life insurance. "They had concerns and queries about the procedure to be followed ahead. Once that information was given, they went back to work," he said.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande the healthcare workers at the hospital are already stressed because of lack of safety measures.
“Those serving in COVID-19 wards also do not have any place to stay. They aren't getting life insurance, despite an assurance by the government,” Deshpande, who is the president of the MNS union in the hospital, told CNN-News18.
"The dean had also made some insensitive remarks about the employees and the payments made to them. We talked to him about it as well. He assured the employees of making residential arrangements. Thereafter, the employees resumed work," Deshpande said.
He also claimed that 19 healthcare workers in KEM had died due to the virus. However, Dr Deshmukh refuted the claim, but said there were problem of accommodation. "Over 1,000 nurses are staying on the campus," he said.
Deepak Dalvi, the vice president of Maharashtra Navnirman Bruhanmumbai Karmchaari Union, said there are many issues at KEM hospital, including that of overflowing morgues.
“At this point, several bodies are kept outside the morgues because there is no place anymore. There is mismanagement. Covid duty staff are not receiving proper accommodation. Many of our daily wage labourers are living in parks or streets because they cannot go back home as they fear of getting their family members infected. Even the sweeper who died on Monday, was not given leave or medication despite being unwell. Everyone is unhappy with the highhandedness and insensitivity of the dean," said Dalvi.
Among more than 52,000 coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, 31,972 cases were reported from Mumbai city, where the death toll crossed the 1,000-mark on Monday.
(With inputs from PTI)
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