Mismanagement, misinformation exacerbate problem

Mismanagement and misinformation, a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and lax testing and self-quarantining are increasingly putting frontline medical workers at risk.

In a case study, reports of 65 positive Covid-19 cases among healthcare professionals at Leratong Hospital has sparked concern of the rising cases.

After numerous attempts to get through to Leratong’s staff infection control centre proved fruitless, one matron in charge of infection control among patients at the hospital did reveal to The Citizen that despite educating people about Covid-19, “every morning you teach until you can’t anymore. You teach them one thing over and over”.

The overwhelmed matron, whose name may not be revealed in case of a backlash, also revealed her surprise when informed of the alleged number of positive Covid-19 cases at Leratong.

Conditions even before Covid-19 were trying at best, but according to South African Medical Association (Sama) board chair Dr Angelique Coetzee, Covid-19 has begun to expose the compounding issues plaguing the healthcare sector.

“Patients’ families usually call out medical institutions, but because of lockdown, there is no more whistleblowing. We don’t have enough information on the issues at hospitals, and doctors will not easily complain for fear of being discriminated against,” Coetzee said.

The lack of information and fear of intimidation when speaking out, was also confirmed by South African Emergency Personnel’s Union (Saepu) president, Mpho Mpogeng.

Mpogeng said if a paramedic refuses to respond to a patient, it will result in dismissal.

However, paramedics, who are often the first to interact with Covid-19 positive patients, are not being given the correct PPE gear and N95 masks to respond to patients safely.

According to Mpogeng, a number of paramedics have died of Covid-19, but in some areas, when an emergency worker tests positive for the virus, management has reportedly prevented them from disclosing their status.

This puts paramedics’ lives and the lives of their families at risk.

“Results are being hidden deliberately, and we receive complaints from members saying they didn’t know about the results. We need to be truthful.

“They say our workers are lazy and are using Covid-19 as an excuse to stay home. We say they are there to work, but please respect them and provide them with proper equipment,” he said.

Saepu’s misinformation concerns were echoed by Coetzee, saying there was no contingency plan when it comes to increased cases among doctors and nurses.

“What is communicated from the CEOs of hospitals up to provincial and national level is not what is happening on the ground,” she aidd, adding that Sama has received complaints that many nursing staff members or either on strike or not at work.

“We are in quite a deep mess. The infrastructure is not in place.

“Lockdown was supposed to give us time to prepare ourselves,” she said.

Health department spokesmann Popo Maja reiterated the concerns of more critical medical staff contracting Covid-19.

Maja said it is suspected that healthcare professionals “get infected outside their workspaces”.

“We suspect that they lower their guard when they are taking a break or are in public spaces.”

They say our workers are lazy