-Health Minster urges attitude change, compassion

DESPITE putting their lives at risk, and working long hours away from their families, during the fight to slow the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), nurses and other healthcare workers are being stigmatised and discriminated against by the general public.

This has prompted the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, to urge members of the public to be mindful and compassionate towards the heroes of the day, who are continuously risking their lives to contain the virus.

Dr. Anthony, during an interview with the Department of Public Information, informed that all medical staff undergo sanitisation before they enter and when leaving health facilities.

Additionally, the medical personnel involved in the screening, testing, or treatment of patients exposed to or suffering from COVID-19 have been trained and are clad in personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times.

“When they leave that environment, they would dispose of those PPE. So, when they leave the environment, they are not transmitting anything. Nurses and other medical personnel who work in these environments will not put anybody at risk, and we want the public to understand that,” Minister Anthony assured.
He called on the public and transportation providers, in particular, to treat medical professionals and other frontline workers with respect and consideration.
Having received reports of discrimination worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) called on Governments to address this issue as it threatens the health and safety of health workers and patients.

This call was reiterated on Thursday, September 17, 2020, when World Patient Day was globally celebrated.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded all of us of the vital role health workers play to relieve suffering and save lives,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “No country, hospital or clinic can keep its patients safe unless it keeps its health workers safe. WHO’s Health Worker Safety Charter is a step towards ensuring that health workers have the safe working conditions, the training, the pay and the respect they deserve,” Dr.Ghebreyesus added.
The pandemic has highlighted the extent to which protecting health workers is key to ensuring a functioning health system and society.

Further, the Manager/Head of Strategic Planning and Communication at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Chelauna Providence, in addressing a number of complaints had stated, “We have been receiving reports from nurses and doctors that taxi services have refused to pick them up and bring them to work; supermarkets have asked them to leave when they are in uniform or have their badges on. We basically want to let the public know that nurses especially, are frontline workers when it comes to responding to COVID-19.”

Providence explained on that occasion that nurses were working overtime to slow the spread of disease in Guyana and were deserving of respect during this critical period. “Our nurses and our doctors are continuously preparing for any possible situation in Guyana and they have been working hard and overtime to do so, so we want people to extend the same courtesies that they would to everyone else… additionally, people should be a bit more accommodating to healthcare workers, because if you should get sick or if you should need healthcare, the healthcare workers are going to be the ones to take care of you,” she stated.
Additionally, Providence stated that the stigma that was being displayed was due to the lack of knowledge and persons should educate themselves and adhere to the precautionary measures set out by the healthcare system.

“With the COVID-19, the threat is basically to anyone. It’s not just doctors and nurses that people need to be concerned about, and so we also want to reinforce that people should take the necessary precautions as they are advised by the health authorities, practise their handwashing, social distancing, respiratory etiquette,” she said.