Since the medical university does not have adequate funds to buy masks, the local authorities prepared a proposal to deduct from salaries of the doctors and staff members in order to procure masks.

As per sources, the Chief Medical Superintendent of the university, Dr Sankydhar, sent the proposal to the registrar of the university to arrange funds for buying the masks.

Opposing the unilateral decision, the leader of the KGMU Employees Association said that no prior permission was taken to cut their salary.

Similarly, the president of the Junior Doctors Association, Dr Bharat expressed his displeasure over this decision.

It would be worth mentioning here that resident doctors had earlier threatened to boycott their work on March 23 in the absence of proper masks. Resident doctors had argued that the UP government should have made the proper arrangements for masks for the coronavirus patients admitted in KG Medical University.

Residents doctors demanded that those deployed in isolation wards and fever clinics should be given Protective Personal Equipments. In all, 250 PPEs would be required everyday costing Rs 5 lakhs.

Resident doctors feel that they are overburdened with the Covid-19 related work, hence there should be proper allotment of patients in other designated hospitals too.

It would be worth mentioning here that one doctor tested positive while testing patients, and other three suspected doctors tested negative.

Residents Doctors Association has urged KGMU V-C to take up the issue with government for proper distribution of patients so as not to overburden the doctors risking their very lives to treat the Covid-19 patients.

If this is the case with the prestigious KG Medical University, then the state of affairs at other universities and hospitals is anybody's guess.

Despite the strict instructions issued by the CM Yogi Adityanath on migrant labourers, one can see thousands of them marching from Delhi and other places on national highways to reach their villages.

Even as the UP government makes belated efforts by issuing helpline and community kitchens for migrant labourers, the civil society and NGOs have come forward to help hundreds of families seen on roads. (IPA Service)