Daijiworld Media Network - Shivamogga (SP)

Shivamogga, May 13: Six staff members of the government McGann Hospital here, who were involved with the care of COVID - 19 patients admitted in the hospital, have been suspended from service for issuing statement criticising the government.

Those suspended have been identified as nurses Chetana Kumari, Pavitra, Bhavana and Ravi, as well as D group workers Padmaraj and Arun.

The staff entrusted with healthcare of coronavirus patients cannot go home at the end of the day. They have to stay back at the facility provided at the hospital. The team engaged in taking care of the patients during their first leg of seven days were asked to stay at the junior women health assistants training centre located in the compound of McGann Hospital. As water problem erupted there, they were shifted to a private quarters located on Kuvempu Road. The staff were speaking among themselves about lack of food and stay facility there. Recording of their conversations and utterances were widely shared in the social media.

McGann Hospital (file photo)

Finding fault with them for having issued public statements against the government, director of the medical college Dr Gurupadappa, suspended the staff concerned.

Unions resent

President of Karnataka State Government Employees Union, C S Shadakshari, and president of Health Employees Association, M S Nanjundaswamy, led a meeting in which a warning was issued to hold protest against the suspension of the above employees unless the orders are withdrawn immediately.