COVID-19: 121 frontline healthcare workers have tested positive

Dr.  Moosa Murad, a leading physician and member of Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH)’s clinical advisory management group, said on Monday that 121 frontline healthcare workers in Maldives have tested positive for the new coronavirus.

In a press conference at the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) on Monday night, Dr. Murad said a large number of healthcare workers have been engaged in treating coronavirus patients since Maldives confirmed its first case in March.

“As cases continue to rise day by day, many are being admitted to facilities. Having to treat such a large volume of patients pose a great challenge to healthcare workers in these facilities,” he said.

He said that the rate of infection in Maldives shows no sign of slowing down.

Dr. Murad noted that the treatment of coronavirus patients is different from treatment of other patients.

“Healthcare workers, doctors and nurses need to adhere to specific requirements when attending to such patients. They have to wear PPEs at work. Healthcare workers find it very difficult to attend to patients while wearing these suits,” he said.

Dr. Murad said that working long shifts wearing PPEs make healthcare workers tire faster, and that they are working under extremely difficult conditions.

He said that the increase in coronavirus patients who require hospitalized treatment will leave healthcare workers overworked, and that it may result in having to reduce the number of healthcare workers designated to treat coronavirus patients.

“I also want to note that there are positive cases among healthcare workers. We have recorded that 121 frontline healthcare workers have tested positive so far,” said Dr. Murad. He noted that more healthcare workers need to be assigned to replace the workers who test positive.

Dr. Murad stressed that human resources is of vital importance when it comes to managing the coronavirus outbreak, and that lack of human resources to provide the treatment, even if necessary beds and equipment are available, will pose difficulties.

He also said that developing the necessary human resources within one or two months is not possible.

“Therefore, we have to utilize the human resources we have available. And as we utilize them, the increase in cases, increase their burden. There will be few left to treat patients if they are left exhausted,” he said.

Dr. Murad also noted that not all doctors and nurses can be utilized solely to treat coronavirus patients, and that there must also be healthcare workers to treat patients suffering from other diseases.

He said that with the health system’s resources divided to treat coronavirus patients and non-coronavirus patients, the increase in coronavirus cases will overwhelm the system.

“If the situation isn’t one healthcare workers can manage, then, as we said on day one itself, if the cases rise to a level that overwhelms the healthcare system, there may come a time when we must choose who will receive treatment and who will not,” he said.

Dr. Murad appealed for members of the public to adhere to the measures imposed to control the outbreak and provide their full cooperation.