Lack of COVID-19 co-ordinated strategy sapping energy

AS coronavirus continues to strike many globally, regionally and locally, we are left with very little room to manoeuvre as a nation.

Zimbabwe has recorded an official mortality of slightly over 80 people with more than 4 000 cases.

Tuesday recorded only one death from the national statistics which ironically was the same day that I witnessed three COVID-19-related deaths from my community alone, a signal that the true picture is not reflected in the national statistics.

We need better measures and not to wait for post-mortem swabs yet the same people were carrying their results from private laboratories that showed their positive status.

All stakeholders in patient management should know what is happening on the ground and the list includes clinicians, patients, local councils, the Health ministry and other relevant government officials.

Concealing important COVID-19 information is not only ridiculous, but injudicious. It is coming to your doorstep sooner than later.

We need a co-ordinated approach from patient consultation, referrals, post-mortem and burials.

We have written or talked about testing and treatment of COVID-19, but no one has talked about the frustration of post-death handling of all the affected people.

The public health system has been grounded for the past five weeks with nurses not reporting for duty.

The situation has been aggravated by senior doctors who joined the industrial action citing severe shortage of personal protective equipment, poor remuneration and unbearable working conditions.

This leaves the private practitioners facing the entire nation, but with limited medical supplies.

The pressure has lately been too much on us as private practitioners with people seeking medication, some collapsing at clinic entrances.

The diabetics should be reminded that COVID-19 is a reality and contracting the virus may signal a death penalty.

The last five days, I witnessed six mysterious deaths of diabetics, four of whom had positive COVID-19 rapid results.

Attending to patients during this time should never be a crime, and neither should death be treated as a sacred event.

Chasing patients away from medical centres because they exhibit some symptoms of COVID-19 is not only unethical, but infernal.

I had a patient who collapsed just 30 minutes upon entering my clinic on Friday.

As the norm, the body could not be taken home, so we had to complete death notification with the police.

The police were up to the task and in no time, they were done.

I want to personally thank the officer-in-charge Kuwadzana Police Station, Inspector Chikozho and officer commanding district, Chief Superintendent Mtetwa for their swift responses always.

These officers have shown great leadership and I urge other police districts to emulate them.

Hell was to be seen when it was time for City of Harare to fumigate the place because a patient had died upon arrival.

I understand it is the new norm considering the rising cases of COVID-19.

I wonder why we are not allowed to do the fumigation ourselves as practitioners if the city council has no capacity as

I witnessed.

The city council can have hydrogen peroxide or hypochlorite at some central place for those practitioners who cannot afford to purchase. Spraying can be done by anyone.

I am not sure what safety the city council talks about when they took more than 15 hours before coming to fumigate while we had the body with us.

That was uncalled for considering that other patients needed to be assisted, but we had to close the entire institution for 15 good hours because council could not fumigate the place.

There is a general tendency by the city health authorities to ignore calls, they should know that they are not in the offices for salaries, but to serve the ratepayers.

Why frustrate the remaining dedicated and patriotic staff manning health institutions?

City of Harare has a whole set of medical staff from environmentalists, nurses, doctors and directors who enjoy hefty perks at the expense of ratepayers.

It is the same city council that prides itself in not paying service providers through its medical aid society but the city fathers treat that as normal.

The council men finally came the next day with their knapsacks and investigations showed the men had no fuel and their car needed a complete engine overhaul.

With COVID-19 now worsening, is this the level of preparedness we have reached?

The beginning of September will see astronomical deaths if my projections are anything to go by.

Let us wake up from deep slumber and have a co-ordinated approach to this pandemic. Tomorrow, it may be me or you! COVID-19 with diabetes, please be extra alert. Keep safe at home!

Johannes Marisa is a medical practitioner, a public health practitioner who is also a PhD student in educational management. He writes in his personal capacity. He can be accessed on doctormarisa@gmail.com.