Covid-19: Staff at AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital face transport hassles; no buses for night shift workers

Even two weeks after the Union Health Ministry announced that the transportation of health workers was a matter of priority for it, the staff – especially those in the night shift – of both All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung Hospital continue to face trouble to reach the hospitals,.

The staff of both the hospitals works in three shifts – 6 am to 2 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm and 10 pm to 6 am. While those in the afternoon shift face less trouble, those in the night shift find it difficult to reach both the hospitals and their homes as the bus service ends at 8.30 pm.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had stated that government-run transport system should be arranged for those who do not have private vehicles, so that there was no shortage of doctors, nurses and other health staff in medical facilities.

“Initially, when they began the service, very few DTC buses were put to service. We had to go to work packed like sardines in a bus. After we complained several times that social distancing rules were not being followed, they put a few more DTC buses on all routes. But even now the issue of those coming working in the night shift remain,” said a young man, who works as the support staff at AIIMS. He did not want to be identified.

His shift ends at 10 pm and there are no buses to take him home. “After doing our duty for eight hours, we have to then walk home and that takes at least another 2.5 hours. These days no one will even give us a lift. By the time we reach home, we are exhausted. We have been told that if we don’t show up for work, our salaries will be cut. How long are we expected to walk home?” lamented the man.

Even for those whose shifts begin at 6 am or 7 am, transportation is a hassle. “Morning bus services to the hospital do not start at 5 am to enable us to reach on time. But, in the morning, it’s easier to find alternate transportation. On days when my shift begins at 7 am, I’m able to get on the transport provided by 6 am. I reach only by 7.15 am and everyday I am screamed at because I reach late. No one wants to understand the troubles we face,” explained a man who works as a security guard at one of the two hospitals.

Most of the support staff such as nursing orderlies, sanitation workers, lab technicians, data operators and security guards at both these hospitals are contract staff. “The Prime Minister and the Home Minister can say several things. They asked private companies to not cut salaries but even now if we reach late we are threatened with a salary cut. We don’t reach on time because there is no transportation,” explained a woman who works as a technician at Safdarjung Hospital. She too did not want to be identified.

Amit Jha (name changed to protect identity) who works as a support staff at Safdarjung Hospital finds it difficult to reach on time as his shift begins at 10 pm. “The last bus from our area is at 6.30 pm. Since my shift begins at 10 pm, I cannot go in so early. I have started cycling to work and it takes at least 1.5 hours to reach the hospital. Now, I leave home before 8.30 pm to ensure that I reach on time. It is exhausting to work like this every day. Poor people like us have no choice but to report for work as without the salary we will starve,” said Jha.

It is even more difficult for the women staff as they have to mostly wait till someone offers to drop them closer home as it is not safe for them to walk on the streets at midnight. “We have requested the authorities several to ensure there are buses after all shifts. But, no one listens to us. We are not doctors, so they don’t bother. They want us to reach the hospital even at night, but they don’t care how,” said a woman sanitation worker at AIIMS. It takes her more than two hours to walk home after the shift.