SNN, Kolkata, May 16: Major private city hospitals will soon stare at a nurse shortage after 185 nurses from Manipur left for their home state. Some resigned, some applied for leave and others have left without any intimation. With nurses from Tripura and Odisha feared to follow suit, private hospitals are now worried that it will be impossible to serve patients in the near future.
The hospitals have approached the Nursing Council to address this situation. Sources at private hospitals stated that they were anticipating the situation after two doctors died and several nurses, as well as other medical staff, were infected with the coronavirus. Apart from fearing infection, some stray incidents of harassment on nurses by people were earlier reported along with COVID-19, leading people to leave their jobs in Manipur.
According to Prasanta Sharma, chairman of the health care committee, Indian Chamber of Commerce, said that there are 18 private hospitals in the Kolkata and 15 per cent of the nurses in these hospitals hail from the north-eastern states. Another 30-40 per cent hail from Kerala, Karnataka and Odisha. AMRI Group CEO and Association of Hospitals of Eastern India vice-president Rupak Barua has also reportedly decided to write to the West Bengal Government on this matter.
The Manipur State Home Department recently issued "exit passes" for nurses who were willing to return. They were sent on buses supervised by the Manipur Government. The State Government arranged for 31 buses and private vehicles as requested by the Manipur Government. The buses will ferry them through Assam and Nagaland before reaching Manipur.
Charnock Hospital and Peerless Hospitals have the highest number with 27 and 25 nurses leaving respectively.
Even 16 nurses from Fortis followed with 11 from Bhagarathi Neotia and 10 from Apollo Gleneagles have bid adieu.
Hospital sources added that while not everyone has resigned, hospital sources stated that it could be a problem later. They also added that this could be a problem later, as patients suffering from other diseases may come back to the hospital once the lockdown is lifted. There are also possibilities of the State Government considering the Disaster Management Act to prevent nurses from leaving their jobs, it was learnt.
