BABANE No disposable PPE: Some clinic employees feel unprotected

M– Some employees of a private clinic based in Manzini feel unprotected from COVID- 19 patients. The employees are concerned about the unavailability of disposable personal protective equipment ( PPE) which is commonly used by frontline healthcare workers who are directly handling COVID- 19 patients.

Apparently, during the first and the second waves of the pandemic, the clinic was able to provide the high quality disposable gowns, face masks, face shields and gloves for its staff. Even then, two nurses contracted the virus during the first wave while over six contracted it during the second wave.

“The third wave is driven by a more severe variant that transmits even faster, but here we are using cloth gowns that we are also expected to wash. These gowns do not prevent the virus from penetrating through and onto our clothes and they are not waterproof,” they said.

The healthcare workers said they were also exposing other patients to the virus because they are expected to work on many different patients while wearing the same gown and masks that are written ‘ non- medical’.

REUSABLE

Beaucare, a supplier of reusable medical isolation gowns said the gowns they provided were made out of a fluid- resistant/ repellent and breathable fabric consisting of a 99 per cent polyester and one per cent electrostatic dissipative carbon yarn.

“As they are reusable, it is a more cost- effective solution to disposable gowns. However, these gowns are estimated to be suitable over 75 washes,” Beaucare declared.

They alleged that they have

Healthcare workers clad in disposable gowns to protect against COVID- 19. raised this issue with the clinic’s viruses. move and dispose of focal people but they were given “We are working here and there said. an excuse that some medical aid is no way we can hang up gowns The Centres for Disease Control providers were not paying for the and then sit for a whole day while ( CDC) and Prevention insists that costs of PPE for their clients who waiting for the sun to kill a viisolation gowns used on isolated are booked into isolation wards afrus. It is not only nurses who are patients should be disposed of after testing positive. faced with this dilemma, but also ter working in that ward.

“When a patient tests positive, we members of staff working at the “Reusable isolation gowns are keep them in isolation wards for Out- Patient Department who are typically made of polyester or polthe duration of their stay, which is attending to all patients who aryester- cotton fabric. Gowns made usually a week or two. During this rive at the clinic.” of these fabrics can be safely launperiod we make rounds between dered after each use according to these patients and other non- COVroutine procedures and reused. ID- 19 patients while wearing the They should not be reused before same gowns.” laundering because this poses risk

Some nurses said their supervifor possible transmission among sors advised them to take off the healthcare practitioners and pagowns after attending to isolated tients, that likely outweigh any patients and hang them outside for potential benefits,” the CDC said. a while so that the virus could die. It is said that extended gown use

They said this was not enough and gown reuse has the potential because no one was sure if the to facilitate self- transmission on virus was dead by the time when the healthcare worker. they wore the gowns again. A medical doctor, who spoke on

Various studies have concluded condition of anonymity, said a that it was not certain how long cloth gown or apron is only adethe virus survived on surfaces, quate when direct physical conwith some suggesting that it may tact is minimal or when the risk of take two hours to nine days, based splash is low. on the behaviour of other corona- He also said this could also call

SURVIVAL

The survival time is also dependent on factors including the type of surface, the temperature, relative humidity and specific strain of the virus, according to the World Health Organisation ( WHO).

WHO made a recommendation that healthcare workers involved in the direct care of patients should use medical masks, gloves, goggles or face shields, and fluid resistant gowns.

“Precautions to be implemented by healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID- 19 include using PPE appropriately, this involves selecting proper PPE and being trained in how to put on, reit,” the WHO

for one reusable gown to be dedicated to each patient, which he said was unlikely.

The nurses at this clinic said the cloth gowns were not enough to be used on individual patients.

“We are also concerned about the fact that the gowns are not dedicated to members of staff, but a person ends up taking another person’s gown.”

They said on average, they admit five COVID- 19 patients per day, which highlights the amount of risk they are exposed to on a daily basis.

“At the end of the day, we may find ourselves going home in infected clothing as the cloth gowns allow penetration. Some of our members use public transport to get home.”

CONDUCTED

A study conducted last year has shown that proper PPE also prevented transmission of the virus among healthcare workers.

“The threat of infection from colleagues might be underestimated by many healthcare workers. Increasing awareness of this potential source of infection by wearing PPE when interacting with colleagues must be a primary focus for infection prevention strategies in times of the COVID- 19 pandemic,” BioMed Central states in its conclusion.

The clinic administration said the employees should have come through to discuss any issues of concern internally.

“We cannot say anything regarding the matter until we establish the actual problem from our employees. We are yet to convene a meeting where we hope to discuss the issue internally.”

The senior staff member said the clinic was not taking the matter lightly, especially because other parties outside of the clinic were now being brought in the picture.

“We will handle the matter appropriately and revert after we have deliberated on it,” she promised. However, she had not responded at the time of going to press.