Ensure protection for physicians to better combat the pandemic

Bangladesh has recorded more than 100 coronavirus deaths for second consecutive day on Saturday taking the death toll to over 10,000 as of yesterday (Saturday). The daily infection rate has crossed 21 per cent with thousands of Covid-19 patients being detected every day. With the influx of new Covid-19 patients, the hospitals are under tremendous pressure. Such ascending curve of infection is alarming. That is why restrictions on people’s movement have been imposed to curb the infection.

Besides preventing infections urgently, it is necessary to save the lives of the patients with emergency needs. Therefore, it is necessary to pay special attention to increase the capacity and efficiency of the medical system and improve the overall management. Also it has to be kept in mind that all the manpower of the hospitals, including physicians and health workers, are protected from coronavirus infection. But no one seems to be paying any heed to the matter.

The health department does not have an account of how many physicians, nurses and health workers have died of Covid-19 so far. The Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA), a professional body of registered physicians, has been keeping an account. According to them, so far 141 physicians have died due to coronavirus infection.

According to the Platform of Medical and Dental Society’s updated estimates, 189 physicians have died of Covid-19, with Covid symptoms and in post-covid complications so far. No one has any information about the actual number of physicians who have suffered and have been suffering from Covid-19.

The coronavirus protection system of our physicians remains visibly poor. Not only physicians who treat Covid patients, but also physicians who treat all types of non-Covid patients are prone to the risk of Covid infection. This is because when asymptomatic patients seek medical attention for various health problems, the physicians fall at risk of infection. Protective gears such as personal protective equipment (PPE), masks and so on are inadequate. Protective facilities for the physicians working in private hospitals and clinics are very weak. Many private hospitals do not even provide masks for their physicians. They buy and use masks themselves.

All the medical centres, both public and private, need to ensure protection for physicians and medical workers engaged in the treatment of all types of Covid and non-Covid patients. Otherwise, the second wave of the pandemic may lead to collapse of the medical system due to the pressure of additional patients. As a result, the number of deaths due to lack of treatment will increase. Such situation is never desirable.