In the country, 11 percent of the victims are health workers.The rate of corona infection among doctors, nurses and other health workers in the country is increasing alarmingly. 11 percent of the total infected people are health workers. This rate is seven times higher than the global rate. The World Health Organization and the Department of Health are trying to determine the cause of such infections.
Public health experts and researchers believe that errors in hospital management, lack of quality protective equipment (PPE) and masks, and lack of training are leading to more infections among health workers.
The World Health Organization has repeatedly said that health workers are at the forefront of preventing and controlling the epidemic. We have to ensure their safety. If their safety is not ensured, the safety of everyone else will be at risk.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on April 28 that health workers involved in corona patient care were at risk of contracting the virus, long working hours, stress, work fatigue and fear. In addition, they are also suffering from physical and psychological problems. The agency has called on officials in all countries and organizations around the world to stop these. On that day, they also said that they had received information about the infection of more than 35,000 health workers around the world till April 21. Till that day, 23 lakh and 97 thousand 217 people were affected all over the world. In other words, 1.46 percent of them are health workers.
Almost every day in the country from any government or private hospital doctors, nurses, technologists, wordboy, Ayre infection is being reported. Meanwhile, a doctor has died in Corona. The Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), the central professional body of physicians, keeps regular accounts of infected doctors, nurses and other health workers.
BMA Secretary General. Ihteshamul Haque Chowdhury said that as of Thursday afternoon, 881 health workers had been identified as corona. Among them 392 are doctors, 191 are nurses and 298 are other health workers. A total of 7,667 people have been infected in Bangladesh. In other words, 11 percent of the total infection is health workers.
Due to the activities of the doctors and nurses’ organizations, the news of their infection is more prevalent. But news of other health workers is not precisely available.
Professor Mohammad Sahidullah, convener of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 and president of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC), said it was unfortunate that doctors and other health workers were being affected. The authorities need to pay more attention to all the issues including PPE, working hours, rest, accommodation, travel of all the front row employees.
Infections are high due to errors in hospital management, lack of quality PPE and masks, lack of training.
The government’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) first released data on infections in Bangladesh on March 8. The first death was reported on March 18. The first death in Corona was at a private hospital. Infections among doctors, nurses and other health workers have been reported since the death.
Professor Uttam Kumar Barua, director of Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital, told yesterday that so far 46 doctors, 7 nurses and 13 employees have been identified in the hospital.
Infections of doctors, nurses and other health workers in almost all major government and private hospitals in Dhaka are regularly reported in the media. The same thing is happening in different districts outside the capital.
In some districts, health workers have been reported to be more affected than ordinary people. In Mymensingh district, 145 people have been reported infected. Of them, 107 or 74 percent are doctors, nurses and other health workers. 83 of them are from Mymensingh Medical College Hospital. Earlier, it was reported last week that 66 percent of the victims in Kishoreganj were doctors, nurses and health workers.
The infection started in China. Three thousand doctors and nurses have been infected in the country so far. In other words, health workers are 3.5 percent of the total affected. As of April 9, there were 9,282 health workers in the United States. At that time, 2 percent of the total number of health workers in the country.
BMA Secretary General. Ihteshamul Haque Chowdhury thinks that there are three main reasons for the infection of health workers. First of all, there is no system in the hospital to choose who is free from infection, who is not a potential patient and who is a real patient. Second, there were questions about the quality of PPE from the beginning. Again, not everyone got PPE. When found, they were not trained to use it. Third, many people have been hospitalized for coronary heart disease.
The World Health Organization has said the same thing. At one stage of the service, they say, health workers have learned who is sick and who is not, they work in high-risk departments, they have to work long hours, many workers do not take adequate measures to prevent infection (such as not using PPE properly, or many There is no habit of following hygiene rules like hand washing). In addition, many have a lack of training.
There has been a lot of talk about PPE or masks. Health workers, especially doctors, have complained that PPE, which can prevent coronavirus, has not been given in many cases. Many people could not use antibacterial masks. On the other hand, there have been allegations of supplying fake masks in the name of the world’s best masks.
A survey was conducted by BRAC University’s James P. Grant School of Public Health and the civic organization Health Work. The results of the survey, published on April 18, show that 25 percent of doctors and nurses did not receive any PPE. Those who received were not satisfied with the PPE standard.
Multiple sources said officials at the World Health Organization’s Dhaka office were concerned. They have discussed the matter with the officials of the health department. They want to find out where the source of the infection is — in the hospital, in the car, at the residence, or at the social gatherings of health workers.
“We are working on the issue,” said Professor Abul Kalam Azad, director general of the health department.
Meanwhile, at the meeting of the National Technical Advisory Committee on April 28, there was a long discussion on the safety of doctors and other health workers. The meeting discussed the value of PPE. The meeting recommended the formation of a committee on PPE standards. The World Health Organization also said that each country must take effective measures to prevent infection among its health workers. And health workers must use PPE properly in the workplace and follow the hygiene rules.
Mushtaq Hossain, a public health expert and former chief scientific officer of IEDCR, said, “Everyone knows what to do now.” Hospital authorities need to take appropriate measures regarding management and equipment, so that there are no doctors or staff outside the security. It is the responsibility of the employee to be aware of safety.
News Room, May 1,2020