After two years of Covid panic, hospitals in Kolkata hope to go back to their usual festive season roster during Durga Puja this year.
Several private hospitals had not sanctioned leave to doctors, nurses and other employees during the Puja in the last two years.
This Puja they hope to allow them to go on leave.
Some doctors and nurses who were unable to take leave during the festive window in 2020 and 2021 said they would go on holiday this time.
All hospitals in Kolkata had their Covid wards almost full during the last two years’ Puja, forcing the authorities to cancel the leave of their staff.
Interventional neurologist Kaushik Sundar could not go on a Puja holiday for two years.
This time, he will be vacationing in Australia with his wife and daughter.
“I was working at the hospital during the Puja in the last two years. It was impossible to take leave because many Covid patients were coming with neurological issues. They suffered from brain fogging, a condition resulting from Covid that affects the brain and the patient fails to recognise people and remains in a state of confusion,” said Sundar.
Smitha V.S., a nurse at the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, said the hospital had granted her leave this Puja and she would visit her family in Kerala’s Ernakulam.
“I was working in the Covid ward and was unable to go home. This time, around 30 of us from the hospital will visit our families in Kerala,” she said.
The hospital said around 25 per cent of the workforce had been granted leave in the festive period.
“Last two years, during the Puja time, Covid wards were almost full and all nurses and doctors... were working overtime. Also, many staff were infected.... Those who were working could not take leave because of the shortfall,” said R. Venkatesh, COO, east and south, Narayana Health, that runs the RN Tagore hospital.
“Today we have no Covid patient admitted, and also there is enough bench strength to allow some people to take leave.”
AMRI Hospitals, too, will allow doctors and others to go on leave during the Puja.
“Many consultant doctors told me they would go on Puja vacation,” said Rupak Barua, group CEO, AMRI.
Peerless Hospital, too, will go back to it’s pre-pandemic Durga Puja roster.
“We are requesting patients to defer the planned procedures for a few days so those who worked through last two Puja could get leave this time,” said Sudipta Mitra, chief executive of Peerless Hospital.
