Experts fear the health system may be pushed to the brink of collapse if more doctors are infected with Covid-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
A doctor being infected with Covid-19 poses a double jeopardy, as health professionals who have been in contact with the infected physician also have to be quarantined, they said.
According to Bangladesh Doctors Foundation (BDF), at least 29 health professionals have been infected with Covid-19. Of them, five are from Narayanganj, one each from Nilphamari, Noakhali and Sylhet, and the rest are from Dhaka.
Furthermore, one infected physician has died while three are undergoing treatment. Some of them have recovered.
In addition to the infected doctors, more than 100 health care professionals are in quarantine or isolation at the moment, according to BDF data.
BDF Chairman Dr Md Shahed Rafi Pavel said: “We have observed that more and more doctors are being forced to go into quarantine or isolation gradually, keeping them away from providing treatment.”
He also urged patients not to hide medical records, as this increases the risk for both doctors and others around them.
Services have been suspended at a surgery unit and gynecology unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) as well as at an ICU of Anwar Khan Medical, among others, as the doctors in the units have been forced to self-quarantine, the BDF chairman added.
Meanwhile, our Chandpur correspondent confirmed that one more physician has been infected, while a dental surgeon in Dhaka died with coronavirus like symptoms, yesterday.
Furthermore, 12-13 staff members of the Gazipur Civil Surgeon Office, including Civil Surgeon Khairuzzaman himself, were sent into home quarantine on Sunday morning after a night guard of the office tested positive for Covid-19.
Earlier, five people in the Gazipur City Corporation area and Kapasia, tested positive for Covid-19, and the night guard was among them. After tracing contacts of the five infected people, more than 150 people have been sent into home quarantine, including the government staff.
The night guard is now undergoing treatment in the isolation ward of Kurmitola General Hospital, which is designated for coronavirus treatment. Samples from the government employees have also been sent to Dhaka for coronavirus tests, the civil surgeon told Dhaka Tribune.
Quality of PPE raising questions
Many physicians and interns of DMCH, Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and the National Institute of Diseases of the Chest and Hospital (NIDCH) have expressed frustration with the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided to them.
They also complained that needing to ration PPE was a problem as many patients are hiding their travel and medical records.
BDF Vice Chairman Dr Fazle Elahi Khan expressed his support for the physicians and said the quality of PPE provided to general hospitals and designated hospitals for coronavirus is not the same.
“For instance, one of the doctors in the gynecology department of DMCH tested positive. The doctor provided health care service to a Narayanganj patient while wearing full PPE. This raises questions over the quality of the PPEs,” he added.
He said such incidents would demoralize the front line fighters against Covid-19 in any country.
Ensure required supply of quality PPE and motivate doctors
Experts said a lack of coordination may be leading the country to a scarcity of doctors and maintaining the motivation of physicians is crucial.
“Dr Shahed Rafi Pavel of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in their briefing mostly focuses on issues related to stopping the spread of coronavirus, but it is the doctors who attend patients and they may lose motivation and not work wholeheartedly if not properly supported,” BDF Chairman Dr Md Shahed Rafi Pavel said.
“Initiatives like assigning a hospital dedicated for physicians who are infected would give them a sense of importance and keep them motivated,” he added.
BDF Vice Chairman Dr Fazle Elahi Khan said: “Quality PPE should be provided, their salary should be paid regularly, and initiatives should be taken to praise their efforts and highlight their activities. This will help them regain their confidence a bit.”
