Ethiopia: Characteristics Analysis – Covid-19 in Ethiopia: No Care for Caregivers

10/09/2020 Ethiopia, Health



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Addis Ababa: The coronavirus or COVID-19 has caused unprecedented strain on Ethiopia’s already fragile health system and its workers. Health professionals have long voiced their complaints about unfavorable working conditions in the face of the pandemic. The federal health ministry has made some efforts to address some of the most common challenges related to the pandemic. Several universities have participated in the manufacture of masks and disinfectants. Ethiopia has received many donations from different sources. Yet healthcare professionals fighting the pandemic on the front line still complain about a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), among many other things. Addis Standard has spoken with some leaders in an effort to help make their voices heard. There is a general feeling of boredom, but his dedication to his profession has not wavered.

Most of its challenges are shared by everyone during the pandemic – the PPE shortage. “When a patient comes to the ER, there is no time to think about putting on PPE, our first priority is saving lives, so we treat the patient right away. We don’t stop to wait for PPE. This has resulted in many my friends who work in government hospitals contracting the virus. ” said Dr. Brook Genene, a graduate general practitioner from Black Lion Hospital.

It is obvious that the healthcare workplace is particularly vulnerable to the risk of exposure to COVID-19. According to current knowledge, the two main routes of transmission are direct interaction with patients and contact with respiratory droplets in the space surrounding the infected person. Another health extension worker Addis Standard spoke to works at the Addis Rayi Health Center in Addis Ketema city in Addis Ababa. Her job includes providing assessment, contact tracing, and home care. She says: “While working in the ER, we did not have the proper personal protective equipment and we found that the patients we treated tested positive or died from the virus after we were exposed to them. On top of that, we do not get tests after exposure “.

All other healthcare workers share similar concerns. The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has made several promises, including the provision of health insurance and various incentives for health professionals at the start of the pandemic. According to the healthcare workers we spoke to, none of those promises had been kept. A doctor at the Dodola General Hospital in Arsi said the closest he had come to health insurance is that the hospital began offering free health coverage to its employees. However, this practice is common in most public hospitals in the country.

In a recent FMoH statement, 1,400 healthcare workers tested positive for the virus and 2 died. Healthcare workers, like anyone else, have health problems that put them at risk of dying from COVID-19. Each infected health worker means one more gap in the fight against the pandemic.

“We even bought masks.” said a nurse who works in a private hospital designated as an isolation and treatment center. He explained how several patients who come to the hospital for various reasons end up testing positive after routine tests, but the results come days after healthcare workers have been exposed. “Every lawsuit we make threatens us with a lawsuit.” she says. “We are not asking for a reward, this is our national duty and we took an oath,” he adds. Addis Standard spoke with Debrework Getachew, deputy director of the food, drug and health administration control authority, who said the agency ensures that private healthcare institutions provide PPE to their employees. The agency has granted parole to private healthcare institutions that did not provide enough PPE to their workers after receiving complaints from healthcare workers.

Healthcare workers protecting others during this historic pandemic are risking their own health, and what these professionals are asking for is the bare minimum. They face the economic challenges of the pandemic like everyone else. “My biggest fear is that my family will contract the virus because of me,” said the nurse. But she explained that she cannot afford to rent a separate house. He also explained that staff members are prohibited from getting tested. If we want, we have to pay birr 500 to the hospital to get one. “The health extension worker has also made similar comments about access to testing after exposure. She said management told them that staff members can no longer Take a test It is not uncommon to hear statements like “you must be used to it” at the Addis Rayi health center, according to the health extension worker Addis Ketema is the worst affected sub-city in Addis Ababa.

A doctor working at Adigrat General Hospital told Addis Standard that it has been 3 months since they were promised payment for providing services at Covid-19 stations. He said that the response they have received from the coordinator is that they are waiting for the WFoH to assign budgets. Similarly, the doctor at the Dodola Hospital said “We tried to communicate with the area administration, which responded by saying ‘We don’t have a budget.’ The FMoH deputy communication chief said that the issue of incentives is being discussed by the council of ministers and directed us to Dr. Tegene whom we tried to contact by phone but without success.

The FMoH deputy communication director said the shortage of PPE is the challenge “even the United States faces,” but he was unwilling to answer why there are no efforts to compensate it with incentives and a durable insurance plan to make it work. safer environments for healthcare professionals. This requires long-term political commitment and sustained effort at all levels. Therefore, the participation of key stakeholders, especially health workers themselves, in strategy development, policy formulation and implementation of initiatives is essential. For example, Dr. Samuel, who took the initiative to provide free surgical treatment to other healthcare professionals, and Dr. Birhanu, who started a platform to advocate for better working conditions for healthcare professionals. One of the innovative financial incentives adopted by FMoH is tax relief for healthcare professionals. These initiatives are a good place to start, but policies should be in place to ensure that those on the front lines of this crisis can access the care they may need.