Corona warrior Air India crew members upset with medical facilities

NEW DELHI: Air India (AI) crew members — at the forefront of operating flights to fly in Indians from corona hotspots as well as taking foreigners back to their pandemic-stricken homelands — have sought proper medical and prevention facilities from the airline.
In a joint memo to AI chairman Rajiv Bansal, unions of all different categories of employees like pilots, cabin crew, aircraft engineers and ground staff have sought that “staff and their families wanting to get tested for COVID-19 due to symptoms must be facilitated at home through private home testing as done in Mumbai ...Testing facility should be made available at all stations.”
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They have jointly demanded that “any staff who is found to be a suspect or requires isolation or quarantine must be treated in hospitals which are on Air India panel” and that “hazmat suit, gloves, masks and sanitisers for every crew/staff on duty in hazardous areas should be provided.”
In an open mail to employees, AI chief Bansal applauded them for the special flights and said: “We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure you get all the essential armoury to fight this war. Our dedicated medical services team members are available round the clock for any consultation, advice or emergency. The safety and health of our employees are as important to us as our passengers. We are doing everything possible to minimise risk factors."
"Besides taking all the precautionary measures and providing PPE to ensure your safety, I am glad to share with you that we are amongst the very few airlines in the world, who are providing hazmat suits and other protective equipment for our crew to equip them to face any covid-related safety concern on board. It is due to these precautionary measures that so far, only one of our crew members amongst so many, who have been flying our charter flights all over the world, has tested Covid positive. I am relieved to inform you that she has also been discharged after full recovery under the watchful eyes of our medical department,” he added.
The employees are upset with AI medical department’s handling of the situation. “It is shocking that on one hand the crew and staff are risking their lives to fly our Indian brethren back to our homeland, foreign nationals back to their homes in the face of such a worldwide pandemic, and the Air India medical department has declared a self-isolation mode for themselves. (AI executive director of medical department) is at home in Kolkata rather than being present at the hotspot in Delhi. There have been a few cases of COVID-19 for Air India staff in Mumbai and Delhi. The lack of logistical and material support for Air India staff has been colossal,” the joint representation says.

Comments have been sought from AI on the issue.
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“The case of our two pilots is a stark reminder of how for the want of a prescription they were forced to undergo medical quarantine at a sub-standard facility. The case of the cabin crew member and staff has also left much to be desired, who were placed in a sub-standard facility and after much persuasion, the crew member was finally shifted to a private facility. Air India has facilities with private hospitals around the country and the government has placed no bar on Covid patients being admitted in private hospitals. When employees put their lives on the line, we expect that we and our families are looked after, which sadly is not the case,” it adds.
“The standard operating procedures are not being followed which is a matter of grave safety concern … we are showing restrain at the moment considering the present pandemic, but our patience is running thin when our lives and those of our near and dear ones are being neglected. We hope you will address this issue on priority,” the letter says.