Reza Mahmud :
A great number of physicians across the country have been infected with Covid-19, which creates huge anxiety among the experts.
According to Bangladesh Doctors’ Foundation, a total of 612 doctors have been infected with Covid-19 till Wednesday noon.
In the meantime, two doctors have died from the virus infection so far.
Hematologist Professor Col (Retd) Md Moniruzzaman died an account of Covid-19 infection at Dhaka Combined Military Hospital on Sunday evening.
On April 15, Dr Md Moyeen Uddin, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital died. He was the country’s first coronavirus infected doctor to have died.
Public health experts said, the number of infection among doctors may affect the whole health services across the country seriously.
“Personal protection equipment is very urgent for every doctor in every hospital. It has to ensure availability of standard PPE for all doctors to save them from being infected,” Professor Nazrul Islam of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and Member of the ‘National Technical Advisory Committee’ told The New Nation on Wednesday.
He said, doctors’ safety is very much urgent as they are the main weapon to fight against the virus outbreak.
Bangladesh Doctors’ Foundation pointed out three reasons so far for getting infection with coronavirus.
Dr. Md. Shahed Rafi Pavel, Chairman of Bangladesh Doctors’ Foundation told The New Nation on Wednesday, “Authorities of different hospitals are provided lower quality of PPEs which failed to protect physicians from infection of coronavirus. As a result numbers of doctors have been infected at their workplaces where they fight to save people from diseases.”
He said, “Some hospitals failed to take immediate decision to send doctors with other health workers to quarantine soon after getting ordinary patients infected with coronavirus. This pushed many doctors being infecting from the virus.”
As the third reason, Dr. Pavel said, many patients used to hide their coronavirus symptoms while taking medical treatment. As a result the physicians who get contact with those patients finally become infected from the virus.
Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq, the former Regional Advisor of World Health Organisation (WHO) told The New Nation on Wednesday,
“When numbers of doctors are detected as coronavirus positive then the reason is either they have not protected with good PPE or they totally avoiding PPE whenever visiting patients.”
He said, “Numbers of infection among the doctors are really cases of anxiety. It should give first priority to protect physicians during such a battle against coronavirus outbreak.”
He said, standard quality of PPE should be allotted to all staff and doctors of Covid-19 hospitals. The doctors who are on duty in emergency and out- doors in non-Covid hospitals, also should be protected with PPE.
The Professor suggested doctors to wear PPE on duty when they stay in their workplaces.
“They should wear face masks and hand gloves when go outside. They should wash their hands properly with handwash or soaps regularly as like common people to be saved from infection,” Professor Muzaherul Huq said.
He also suggested authorities to give short training to doctors and all health workers including nurses about how to use PPEs.
On Wednesday, eight health staff, including three doctors and two nurses, of Moulvibazar Sadar Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19.
Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital confirmed the cases on Tuesday night.
