It is worrying to note that every hour, on an average, three medical professionals are getting infected with coronavirus at both public and private hospitals across the country, as reported by Bangladesh Doctors Foundation (BDF). Reportedly, as of Tuesday, a total of 652 doctors and nurses working at different government and private hospitals across the country had been infected by the deadly virus.
On the other hand, at least 741 police personnel have tested positive for Covid-19 so far and as of today, five members of Bangladesh Police have died in the country after contracting COVID- 19.
It needs no emphasising that safety measures taken for professionals working on the frontline to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic is still not up to mark and which is why the number of infected frontline workers is increasing at an alarming rate in Bangladesh.
Lack of sufficient quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) is imperilling the ability of frontline workers to fight the coronavirus and thus putting their own lives at risk.
Lack of sufficient quantity PPE is imperiling
the ability of frontline workers to fight the
coronavirus and putting their own lives at risk
Experts are of the opinion that the country’s preparedness to prevent the spread of COVID-19 or novel coronavirus infection is inadequate till now. Health workers say their fear of getting exposed is increasing as they do not have adequate personal protective equipment — like masks, gloves, and gowns — and infected patients could walk into the hospital at any moment
We are told that hundreds of crores of taka is being spent to bring PPE but not a single consignment meets the criteria of the World Health Organization. No doubt without proper and adequate PPE, our workforce will be decimated.
Who will then be left to look after the patients? When medical professionals do not have the proper protective gears, they put at risk not only themselves but also other patients.
If healthcare providers get sick or are exposed to coronavirus and need self-quarantine, the patient-to-provider ratio will inflate: There will be less qualified healthcare workers who are able to take care of an increasing number of patients. This sort of vicious cycle can accelerate the impact of the disease on the community.
