Chennai, May 19 (IANS): With the government hospitals in Tamil Nadu insisting on attendants with Covid-19 patients in wards and ICU's the possibility of these attendants getting exposed to the pandemic is rising.

Not just getting themselves exposed to the virus and contracting the disease, but these attendants stand a higher risk of transmitting the disease to their families as well as outsiders as they commute inside and outside of the hospitals.

Tamil Nadu recorded the highest fresh cases in the last 24 hours adding 33,059 to its tally.

There are reports from Coimbatore, Chennai, Chengalpet, Madurai where people as attendants to Covid-19 patients spend time with the patients and shared food with them. These attendants are mainly wheeling the patients to toilets and back and also taking care of their immediate needs.

Ramanathan Selvaraj, a medical professional with a government hospital in Madurai told IANS: "The attendants are beside the patients all day long and they are not even wearing proper masks, expect for a cloth mask and these people will turn into superspreaders of the disease unless there is timely government intervention now to curtail any attendants or bystanders to Covid-19 positive patients."

Relatives of patients are also worried that their dear ones will not get proper attention in government hospitals and hence they are also insisting to be at the bedside of the patients.

M. Murugan, a tile worker in Madurai told IANS over telephone: "My brother-in-law contracted the disease and the nursing staff at the hospital were not even taking care of him properly.

"All these tall talks of the government hospitals taking proper care of the Covid patients are all farce. As I was standing as an attendant to my brother-in-law, I could properly request the nurses and other medical staff of the necessities of the patient, including changing of glucose drips and other minor things. I used to go home from the hospital."

This is a clear indication as to how things are working in the government hospitals of Tamil Nadu. While close relatives of those in home isolation are not allowed to venture out of their homes, the attendants of Covid-19 patients in government hospitals are walking in and out at their will leading to a possibility of becoming super spreaders.