By Lerato Ndlovu
The country to date has recorded more than 423 cases of medical workers testing positive to the pandemic causing chaos among patients as some institutions are closing.
In a recently published press statement by Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals it was stated that in July only 70 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 raising worry in patients since the main referral hospitals are Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Gibson Mhlanga said while no fatalities had been recorded among health workers so far, testing of health workers and provision of personal protective equipment was critical to ensure that numbers remain low.
“Nurses are the most affected, constituting 168, and doctors 16. Other affected health workers include people working in pharmacies, accounts, general hands working in the cleaning services as well as drivers ferrying patients,” said Mhlanga.
To the public that means that they have to find ways of making sure they are cured in time, in relation to the maternal side some have been referred to baby or council clinics in the next township causing so much stress in the new mothers.
In an interview with this publication some mothers who asked not to be disclosed had registered at Kuwadzana poly- clinic were told that they could not be assisted hence they were directed to Dzivaresekwa, Warren Park and Mufakose clinics.
“We are wondering how we will be served in this crisis, during our last visit at our registered poly-clinic we were told that we have to go as far as Dzivaresekwa, Warren Park and Mufakose to be assisted because the nurses are in isolation, we asked for transport assistance and we were told that the ambulance driver was the one who was found positive hence resulting in all the staff going into quarantine.
“This hit us hard considering that there is no transport to ferry us to those locations since private commuter omnibuses are not in circulation and walking to these centres can be of danger to us with our due state, because of the distance we have to travel to get there,” they said.
“If only there was the provision for transport even at a cost from the referrals it would have been better we would struggle to gather the needed funds, but now we cannot do anything because such a negotiation was never there between the facilities.”
Some stressed dismay in the reports of people being refused health support at some institutions and fear if they will land in such scenarios too.
“We are hearing so many cases of people being said to be returned back home because the facilities cannot cater for them, and we get to wonder the type of people that are being accommodated in those centres, because for us it’s not everyone who manages to have a smooth delivery,” they said.
This reporter called the Councillor Mr. Kautsa Jason Zivai who hadn’t received any report in regards to such issues and went to confirm these issues, upon return he stated that the women were telling the truth that they are not being served at the poly-clinic.
“I have gone to the poly-clinic and confirmed that the Maternity ward is empty, I asked why and was told that there is only one sister available and doing all the duties (matron, sister in charge,) hence being incapacitated, for the other nurses I was told that they cannot travel to and from work because the Driver who used to transport them was tested positive for the virus and they do not have PPEs.
“They said they cannot risk going into the wards with someone when they do not have the correct PPEs and also not knowing the patients position because they do not have test kits,”
He said. “Despite that issue in the maternity wards of PPEs the other wards are operating normally”.
