Medical Staff Falling Prey To The Virus. Is It A Warning Sign To Look For Foolproof Safety Measures?

Coronavirus is spreading rapidly in India, which is not only a concern for the general public but a more significant threat to the ones working in hospitals. One such news has come from Mumbai, where 3 doctors and 26 nurses have been tested positive for coronavirus, making everyone worried as to what is going to happen next? The BMC has sealed the Wockhardt Hospital, where these cases were recorded. An important thing to know is that now no person will get to enter and exit unless their tests are negative. After this, samples of about 270 hospital staff and patients have been sent for testing to rule out any danger. Also, the nurses who have been tested positive of coronavirus have been shifted to quarters in Vile Parle. Now amidst all this, Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani has said that a team has been formed under the chairmanship of the executive health officer, who will find out how the virus spread even amid such a proper hospital setting.

Also Read: Dialysis in COVID-19 Patients: Dr KK Aggarwal On Do's And Dont's For Dialysis During Coronavirus Pandemic

Doctors Becoming Patients?

This news is horrifying because if the doctors and nurses themselves fall sick who is going to treat those coming for treatment to hospitals? What will happen to other people? Citizens around the world are currently locked in their homes to protect themselves from coronavirus, but the health workers, including doctors, nurses, etc. are fighting COVID-19 are putting themselves in danger coming in direct contact with coronavirus patients  Now is the time when we should put our thinking caps on to safeguard the health of these people.

#HealthCareWorkers ����‍⚕️����‍⚕️must practice good hygiene in health facilities to protect themselves & others from #COVID19.

1⃣Wash/rub hands regularly w/ soap + water or hand gel����
2⃣Cover mouth w/ tissue or flexed elbow when coughing/sneezing������‍
3⃣Avoid touching �������� pic.twitter.com/iwzopAP2IZ

— WHO African Region (@WHOAFRO) April 3, 2020

The news of deaths of doctors from around the world treating patients of COVID-19 has put health workers in danger daily. This was also made clear with the highly publicized death of 34-year-old whistleblower Dr Li Wenliang in China last month. More recently, doctors in Italy succumbed to illness even while working without protective gloves and gear. According to the current guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that health workers may be kept out of work for at least two weeks if symptoms appear or are suspected. This could further put those coming to the hospital for treatment at risk. At the same time, the infection can spread from doctors and nurses to the entire hospital if the situation gets grim. This can certainly be because of the lack of protective gears required to be safe from the virus ultimately.

Apart from preventing direct exposure of both patients and healthcare workers, these are some other ways that doctors and nurses can help in the rescue.

• Doctors and nurses should be alert while being around COVID-19 patients and while going into the isolation ward. Try to maintain a certain distance and have two gloves as a protective layer.
• Doctors should clean their hands by using alcohol-based hand sanitizers or by rinsing with soap and water for 20 seconds. Healthcare workers should wear clean gloves, clean isolation gowns, respirators and eye and face masks. Try to get these unique gowns cleaned after seeing every patient.
• Use caution while around a patient. For example, the patient may cough when you checkup him. In the meantime, try to keep yourself safe by maintaining a certain distance.
• Install monitors to manage and train patients.
• Use a curtain between patients and doctors in shared areas.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones from Coronavirus is simple 👇 pic.twitter.com/OJl0SzPJac

— WHO Sri Lanka (@WHOSriLanka) April 4, 2020

Also Read: COVID-19 Outbreak: 6 Tips By The World Health Organization For Home Caregivers

Lending A Helping Hand

To end the woes of the shortage of necessary gears in hospitals and testing centres, people from across the country are showing their concern. Recently, Naharu Khan of Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh has built an automatic sanitization machine to help the medical fraternity in managing the patients. 62-year-old Naharu Khan has gifted this sanitization machine to Indira Gandhi District Hospital in Mandsaur. He says that he has created this machine with the help of a Youtube video.

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