By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Aug. 8: Nepal Medical Association has appealed to the government to further improve its performance in preventing and controlling widespread COVID-19 cases and to add treatment equipment across the country.
Issuing a press statement on Friday, Nepal Medical Association (NMA) also urged the government to start homework to strengthen the health sector as the country might go through difficult times due to the pandemic as the cases were increasing.
The cases of COVID-19 in Nepal have surpassed 22,000 with more than 70 deaths and the government has started imposing lockdown in the area where more cases were detected.
While many personnel of the Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have suffered from COVID-19, many health workers have also been infected with the virus.
As per the association, 221 health workers, including 51 doctors from more than 80 health institutions across the country have suffered from COVID-19 as of Thursday.
In its six-point suggestions to the government, the NMA has stated that the government needs to provide personal protection equipment to all health workers and have a separate treatment facility for the medical doctors suffering from the virus.
“The health workers are the ones who will treat the infected patients. If health workers are not provided with proper protection equipment, they are the ones who will suffer more from the virus and the country will lack health workers to treat the infected ones,” said Dr. Badri Rijal, general secretary of the NMA.
The association has also urged the government to provide risk allowance without differences to the health workers working in the prevention, control and treatment of the COVID-19 and to implement COVID-19 insurance mandatorily.
“The health workers will work more effectively if they have proper protection gear alongside treatment equipment and appropriate praise from the authorities,” Dr. Rijal added.
The association also suggested the government to add ventilators, Intensive Care Units (ICU), general beds and have enough stock of oxygen and important medicines.
Nepal has been lacking treatment equipment as the medical sector was making improvement at a slow pace although the health experts were urging the government to keep quality concerns of health sector.
“Cases are increasing every day, but there is a lack of enough beds in hospitals dedicated for COVID-19 treatment. The government needs to involve private hospitals and medical colleges as it will help increase beds for treatment,” read the NMA suggestion.
The association has also stressed the need for strengthening the rule of taking prior appointments and advised health institutions to form their own set of guidelines to continue their services by ensuring health safety.
As the transmission rate depends upon public’s activity of maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and sanitising and washing hands regularly, the NMA stated that the government needed to increase awareness among the people.
“The virus does not disappear soon. Even if the cases decrease, there are high chances of it to increase if public start defying the safety measures. The government needs to make people aware and be equipped itself to treat the infected patients properly,” said Dr. Rijal.