Amdadul Haque
The number of confirmed cases among doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals is growing alarmingly, and thus posing a challenge to the handling of a growing number of COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. Coronavirus has affected various public and private hospitals across the country including in Dhaka. Physicians are in panic for lack of personal safety. Doctors are not even touching the patients if they find any similarity with the symptoms of the virus including fever, cold, cough and shortness of breath, meaning that people suffering from cold, fever, sneezing, cough, and sore throat are suffering for uncertainty of treatment, as are other general patients.
The result is obvious: In emergency rooms, intensive care units at healthcare centers, typically dispassionate caregivers are in panic for increasing cases of infections among their colleagues. Many of the fighters at healthcare centers now consider it almost sure to get infected with the new coronavirus.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), as many as 3,382 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 until Tuesday morning and more than 340 of the cases were healthcare professionals. Bangladesh Medical Association Secretary, Ehteshamul Haque Dulal said 412 medical workers, including 163 doctors and 120 nurses, were infected till Wednesday. Lack of personal protection and use of substandard protective equipment are affecting service workers, including medical nurses.
Doctors and health experts said that infection management is absolutely inadequate in our country's health system, so doctors and health workers are being attacked easily. There is also a considerable lack of awareness among the doctors and health workers and the people of the country. In addition, many people are hiding information from health workers due to social attitudes, thus putting the latter in hazard.
Bangladesh Doctors' Foundation chairman Dr Shahed Rafi Pavel on Tuesday said at least 30 doctors tested COVID-19 positive in the past 24 hours, raising the tally to 200. "Physicians are the frontline fighters against coronavirus, but they are getting infected while serving patients for lack of personal safety gear," he added.
The World Health Organisation recommends N95 face masks for on-duty doctors, but they are getting substandard and sometimes fake materials, he alleged. Dr Pavel said some unaware patients are still taking treatment at hospitals hiding their real identity and information, including their travel details to corona hotspots at home and abroad.
"It also enhanced the risk of infections. These triggered serious panic among healthcare professionals," he added. "Physicians are delivering service round the clock in panic," said Prof Dr Faruque Ahmed, director of Sheikh Russell Gastro Liver Institute and Hospital dedicated to dealing with COVID-19 cases.
Seeking anonymity, a physician at the hospital said they regularly come out of home with the fear they might be infected at any time. "In fact, I consider getting infected with the deadly virus an inevitability now," he added. Meanwhile, public health rights activist Dr Rashid-e-Mahbub was highly critical of the delivery of substandard protective kits to frontline fighters. He said such low-grade safety gear would further endanger the healthcare system in this trying time.
When the pandemic virus struck, a band of physicians and nurses stopped caring for patients to avoid getting infected. "I think we shouldn't do anything that will weaken the available workforce morally. We need to ensure their safety because they are the frontline fighters."
Iqbal Hossain Sabuj, a senior nurse of DMC, said,“the nurses are not getting complete PPE. Moreover, the administration of the hospital is giving pressure for duty for a longer time. Pregnant doctors and nurses should be given leave. If not, care will be more affected.”
Meanwhile, the health department says they are providing necessary PPE and masks to hospitals. The department also said in an online health bulletin on Tuesday that 11 lakh 39 thousand 79 PPEs have been provided so far. At present there are 3 lakh 59 thousand 71 more in stock.
