The Need To Protect Healthcare Professionals During The Pandemic

Protecting healthcare professionals during the pandemic must be a priority for governments and society. They are the first line of defense against the virus and therefore need the necessary guarantees to carry out their work.

The high percentage of healthcare professionals infected with the coronavirus is worrying in more than one of the affected countries. He underlines the unpreparedness of different health systems, as well as the urgent need to protect health workers during the pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO), through various statements by its Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on the governments of nations affected by Covid-19 to prioritize the protection of health professionals . WHO has also said that each country should assess the risks, in its own context.

Basic recommendations for healthcare professionals

The Ibero-American Social Security Organization (OISS) has released a series of recommendations to protect healthcare workers during the pandemic.

• The first is that these personnel must maximize hygiene measures, such as washing their hands with soap and water. And this for a period of at least 25 seconds
• In addition, they should wear surgical masks when in contact with patients who have respiratory symptoms. And these patients, even if they are not suspected of having coronavirus, will also be asked to wear a mask.
• To protect healthcare workers during the pandemic, it is necessary that they wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when tasked with caring for patients suspected of having coronavirus.
• In the event of fever or acute respiratory illness, health professionals should refrain from going to their place of work. This will allow them to assess their situation. They can then determine if they have been infected, so that they can receive the appropriate care for them.

Types of risks to which health professionals are exposed

The OISS has classified the risks to which healthcare workers are exposed into three levels. Based on this, she published a series of recommendations for each of them.

The objective is to contribute, through complete and adequate information, to their protection during the pandemic. The three levels are:

• High risk exposure. This is when staff can come into contact with a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19. In this case, a self-filtering protective mask should be worn. But also splash or droplet protection, virus protection gloves and virus resistant gown
• Low risk exposure. When contact with patients suspected of being infected with coronavirus has not been close
• The last level is the low probability of exposure. Targeted staff are those who have no direct relationship with the public. This happens when they are two meters away from patients, or when they adopt measures that avoid contact.

For the latter two cases, the OISS recommends hand washing as indicated above, as well as the use of surgical masks. These measures are designed to prevent contamination of the working environment during surgical procedures. They can also protect against splashes of biological fluids.

Protecting health professionals during a pandemic: a human right

Amnesty International (AI) has published a decalogue focusing on human rights that must be considered during the coronavirus pandemic. In his point five, he refers to healthcare professionals and the need to protect them during the pandemic that threatens the world.

Amnesty International says they are on the front lines of the pandemic. Indeed, they must continue to provide their services, despite the personal and family risks they run. The organization points to the risk of exposure to the virus. But it also evokes those linked to excessive working hours and the resulting exhaustion.

It stresses the need to provide adequate and quality protective equipment to these professionals. In addition, they receive information, training and psychological support to carry out their daily work. Amnesty also mentions the need to guarantee support to the families of health workers who have died in the performance of their duties.

Financial support

In a few countries, the work of health personnel is recognized socially and economically as it deserves. This pandemic has highlighted the importance of health professionals for a society. For this reason, some governments have provided bonuses during the pandemic, but many others have not.

The measurement of extraordinary income, at different times, depending on the country in question, aims to protect health professionals during the pandemic from the shortage of material resources. In addition, she recognizes how critical this sector is to mitigating the pandemic.