The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) is alarmed at the rate at which members of the association are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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According to the association, a nurse has lost her life to the pandemic whilst some 87 midwives and nurses have also contracted the virus.
Spokesperson for the GRNMA, Joseph Krampah made this disclosure in an interview on the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun on Happy 98.9 FM. He noted that, “These deaths and infections are not from those in the COVID-19 treatment centers but are being recorded in peripheral healthcare centers. We also have some 820 of our members under quarantine.”
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He revealed that these healthcare workers are suffering because of inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) at their disposal. Explaining further, Joseph mentioned that these healthcare workers come into contact with a lot of people in a day who may be asymptomatic but because these people come for general treatment they will not take the necessary precautions. “Because the PPEs are not enough, these peripheral healthcare workers ration their PPEs and may not use them in the provision of general healthcare.”
The health worker reiterated that members of the association are doing the right work but the lack of PPEs is their problem at the moment. “We have received support from gov’t and some private individuals and organisations but we need more.”
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When asked by host Samuel Eshun if there are any relief packages put in place to support these health workers, he responded, “we received assurance that the family of anyone who dies will receive a form of relief and same for infected persons.”
Regardless of the training these nurses and midwives have received over the years, they will still remain unsafe and suffer the consequences of COVID-19 if they have inadequate PPEs.
By: Joel Sanco