Doctors and health workers are allegedly not attending patients, especially those suffering from seasonal fever, cold and coughing, in fear of being infected with coronavirus or Covdid-19. A growing fear grips the country as a novel coronavirus has infected over more than 200,000 people worldwide and caused over 10,000 deaths with Bangladesh reporting a death and 18 being infected since the virus was first reported in China late last year.
Many doctors at different private hospitals are referring the patients to the public hospitals while intern doctors at a government-run hospital in the northern district of Rajshahi went on strike demanding immediate supply of personal protective equipment. Some physicians allegedly hanged on notices asking patients not to visit their chambers.
After visiting several private hospitals in Dhaka, doctors were seen referring the patients with fever, cold and cough to the government-run hospitals. Scenarios at the public hospitals are almost same. One Habib from the capital’s Mirpur came to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College & Hospital (ShSMC) to see the doctors since he has been suffering from fever and cold.
But doctors ran no test claiming the man has symptoms of coronavirus causing a panic among the hospitals’ patients. “We have opened a separate corner to see the patients. If they show symptoms of the virus we then referred them to another hospital,” said Dr Nazmul Hasan, an associate professor at ShSMC.
“We won’t attend patients (with fever, cols and coughing) until our safely is ensured,” vowed another doctor, who wished to go unnamed.
Relatives of nearly 10 patients who went to the Mugda Medical College and Hospital alleged that doctors declined to attend patients. Some even claimed that they were told to call the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) hotline.
Meanwhile, the government cancelled leaves of all concerned officers and employees of the health sector. “All concerned physicians, nurses, officers and employees will not get their leaves until issuance of further directive,” Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque told the media on Thursday.
Experts claimed doctors showing reluctance to attend patients is an outcome of the government’s lack of preparedness to tackle the coronavirus. “They (government) say they are fully prepared. But what we see is that they have already detected 17 cases after running tests on around 300 people. If those 6/5 lakh, who return from virus-hit countries, underwent test we would find out the actual number of cases,” said a public health specialist on condition of anonymity.
These returnees aren’t following home-quarantine and if the virus break out it will go out of control, the specialist warned. Secretary General of Bangladesh Medical Association Dr Ehteshemul Haque Chowdhury said the government lacks the capacity of tackling coronavirus.
If the virus breaks out massively, running tests will be impossible then, he added advising the government to set up coronavirus test centres at all divisions.
