Source: ‘Govt to go all the way to protect frontline soldiers’ | Sunday Mail (Top Stories)
Joseph Madzimure
Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT is committed to providing doctors and nurses with adequate personal protective equipment (PPEs) to ensure their safety as they attend to Covid-19 patients.
Speaking soon after “a frank discussion” with senior doctors at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare on Friday, chairperson of the Covid-19 Inter-Ministerial Taskforce, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, said Government will provide PPEs for health frontline workers.
“I had a meeting with senior hospital doctors on Covid-19 matters. They raised issues of safety. They said they don’t have enough PPEs. Psychologically it affects everybody,” said VP Mohadi.
“They need to be tested as well so that they are on the safe side. Some of them are even scared of going to their families … it will become difficult to isolate themselves within their own homes.”
VP Mohadi said doctors had suggested they be provided with apartments where those dealing with Covid-19 can stay until the pandemic has been eradicated after which they would be tested and reunited with their families.
“We agree with them. We will have to do everything possible to protect our frontline soldiers. Our doctors and nurses need to be protected.” The doctors also raised issues to with the country’s Covid-19 testing strategy.
“The testing of the people that we are suspecting of having Covid-19 should be done expeditiously. They (doctors) indicated that Harare should be the centre, where we should do a lot of sampling because of the airport. Most of the people that come from outside might bring the virus,” said VP Mohadi.
“We need to do more testing. I’m not happy that we have only tested about 400 people. We need to have tested more. The same will apply to Bulawayo, they have got an international airport there.”
He said other areas which require urgent attention are Victoria Falls and Buffalo Range airports.
Doctors also raised the issue of the need to refurbish major hospitals such as Parirenyatwa
“The doctors also talked about the refurbishment of our general hospitals. They believe that Wilkins will be overwhelmed. Parirenyatwa, for instance, must be divided into two in order to accommodate both regular and Covid-19 patients.
“There must be an area that deals primarily with Covid-19 patients called red area and a green area for the rest of the patients being treated at the health institution,” he said.
VP Mohadi said he was bringing the doctors under one of the sub-committees of the Covid-19 Inter-Ministerial Taskforce so that their voices can be heard.
“They said their voice is not being heard … I said fine, I have to put you under one of my sub-committees so that you bring your grievances,” he said.
“You bring your ideas to brief us and keep us abreast with what is happening through the committee of implementation and monitoring, which is chaired by Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri. They are prepared to work.”
The post ‘Govt to go all the way to protect frontline soldiers’ appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.