Around 35 outsourced health workers, deputed at the Covid-19 centre at RIMS here, on Wednesday shouted slogans against the hospital management for deputing them to handle patients with coronavirus-like symptoms without protective gear, and not regular employees.

Alleging bias, lab technicians and OT attendants who are working as outsourced staff, claimed the RIMS management expected them to “risk our lives for a pay of Rs 7,800 a month and no personal protective gear.”

Discontent among outsourced health staff is brewing in RIMS after the admission of first coronavirus positive case there.

Laboratory technician Hitesh Kumar, who has been deputed in the Covid-19 centre, spelt out the reasons.

“Out of the six laboratory technicians deputed at the Covid-19 centre, five are outsourced staff like me. One among us is a woman with a baby. getting month remuneration of Rs 7800. Out of five there is a lady with little baby also. We have not been provided personal protective equipment to protect ourselves from the coronavirus infection,” Kumar said.

“We are not regular staff but the RIMS management demands risky services from us. Is that fair?” said a protester with a mask on his face. He refused to be identified.

“Some of the outsourced staff have qualified tests for jobs at RIMS in January this year but they gave not received appointment letters so far. Yet, we are being asked to take the biggest risks,” said another protester. “Last evening (Tuesday), we attempted to meet RIMS director Dr D.K. Singh but he refused. We had no choice but to protest.”

RIMS director Dr D.K. Singh admitted the problem saying he had “already informed about the situation to the government”.

A junior doctor said the role of lab technicians and OT attendants was vital now in handling the crisis.

“If OT attendants and lab technicians do not stay motivated, it will be difficult to get a proper test report and proper care of patients on ventilators. The security of job and life is important for motivation. And certainly, the demand of PPE is justified,” the doctor said.

He added: “To the best of my knowledge, at least 40 PPE kits are needed every day while RIMS hardly has one. RIMS management had given PPE used for HIV-resident which everyone refused.”

He added that frontline health workers were human beings too.

“Last evening (Tuesday), no driver of RIMS was ready to go to bring the coronaviruspositive woman. A nurse at the isolation centre at the Mega Sports Complex in Hotwar had started crying when she heard about the positive case.”