Covid-19: MAT calls for protection of health workers in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. The president of the Medical Association of Tanzania (MAT) Dr Elisha Osati is appealing for protection of health workers after a section of them got infected with the coronavirus and ‘are fighting for their lives’.

Worldwide, as millions of people stay at home to minimise transmission of the novel coronavirus, health-care workers have to do the exact opposite. They go to clinics and hospitals, putting themselves at high risk of getting infected.

Apart from concerns for their personal safety, health-care workers are anxious about passing the infection to their families, other doctors who spoke to The Citizen on condition of anonymity said.

Dr Osati said in a tweet reply to the World Health Organization’s Chief Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, that in Tanzania, ‘We already have healthworkers fighting for their lives due to COVID-19 in Tanzania. Please provide us #PPENow’.

He echoed Dr Tedros’ message on twitter, which said, "Even if we do everything else right, if we don't prioritize protecting health workers many people will die because a health worker who could have saved their lives is sick.”

Without revealing the total number of health workers infected, Dr Osati separately told The Citizen that he was now trying to establish how many of them are infected already and is working with various stakeholders and government authorities to find ways of keeping them safe.

“We are still collecting data. We will speak out as time goes,’’ he said adding that in such a pandemic, health workers are at the highest risk.

 As the pandemic continues accelerating, access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers is a key concern, says Dr Osati.

Medical staff are prioritized in many countries, but PPE shortages have been described in the most affected facilities including Tanzania, where yesterday, the national referral health facility-Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) embarked on producing PPEs.

In many countries, medical staff have been reported to be waiting for equipment while already seeing patients who may be infected or are supplied with equipment that might not meet requirements.

Health-care workers who care for elderly parents or young children will be drastically affected by school closures, social distancing policies, and disruption in the availability of food and other essentials.

Tanzania on Friday April 17 recorded 53 new cases of novel coronavirus infection bringing the total number of patients that have tested positive to 147.

The country also recorded another death bringing the total number of deaths so far due to Covid-19 to five.

The announcement was made by the minister of health Ummy Mwalimu in a daily briefing regarding the Covid-19 development.

“Of all the cases reported since March 16, 11 have healed and have been discharged, four of the remaining cases are critical whereas 127 are under close monitoring but stable,” she said.

According to the minister all the cases are of Tanzanians with 38 of the patients from Dar es Salaam, with a single case each in Kilimanjaro, Mwanza and Kagera.

Lindi and Pwani Regions reported their first cases of the Covid-19 infection with one patient each.

In Zanzibar there are 10 new cases bringing the total number of patients to 35 out of which 4 have been discharged, one passed away on Saturday and 30 are receiving treatment at designated hospitals on the Isles.