MTaI urges govt. to include med device workers in beneficiaries list of COVID-19 vaccination

Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) has urged to the Government to include MedTech sector workforce in the target list of beneficiaries of COVID-19 vaccination, due to the critical nature of work they do.

Pavan Choudary, Chairman and Director General, MTaI, said, “We are happy to note that more than one crore people have already been vaccinated which includes hospital staff and other frontline workers. It is, however, pertinent to note that MedTech executives are part of frontline team that is battling against the pandemic. These executives visit operation theaters and emergency rooms and other facilities in hospitals daily as part of the procedure and demonstration teams. Due to the nature of their jobs, these frontline MedTech workers may even be more susceptible to contracting the coronavirus than some of the other beneficiary groups chosen for the vaccination drive (e.g. security staff in hospitals), as they work in environments where the treatment of COVID patients is actually happening.”

“MedTech executives work in live healthcare setups and are likely to come under direct contact with patients, contaminated devices, equipment, surfaces and even bio-laden air. They perform their duties diligently and help in maintenance of devices and equipment that are used to treat the COVID-19 patient,” added Choudary.

Sanjay Bhutani, Director, MTaI, stated that the frontline MedTech workers have been working 24×7 in the current pandemic times, similar to hospital personnel, to ensure:
Timely servicing of capital equipment such as X-RAY, MRI machines installed across the country, by physically visiting these locations.

Assisting clinicians/nursing staff in ICU that are treating COVID patients by installing/servicing patients monitors, ventilators and other life-saving equipment. Assisting physicians in the emergency procedures. Ensuring regular supply of critical care medical devices to the hospitals and other healthcare setups during the lockdown and thereafter.

“Considering the type of jobs that they perform, including them in the target priority list of beneficiaries should not just be something that is considered at our request but it should be a natural next step in the inclusion mechanism of the government to keep the healthcare machinery running,” Bhutani said.

“We sincerely hope that the government will consider our request and help us protect them, which will allow us to bring the healthcare system fully back on track. Here, it is important to acknowledge that elective surgeries will pick up if MedTech personnel are enabled to work at full capacity. Their inclusion for COVID-19 vaccination will go a long way in rejuvenating the faith and morale of the industry, knowing that the government has rightly recognized their efforts and essential nature of their jobs,” concluded Bhutani.