Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Coronavirus: Increases in infections between doctors and police

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Coronavirus: Increases in infections between doctors and police

    Source: https://www.prensalibre.com/guatemal...os-y-policias/

    Coronavirus: Increases in infections between doctors and police
    According to the PDH, several complaints have been received about the lack of protective equipment for medical personnel.
    by Edwin Pit?n, Andrea Dom?nguez and Marvin T?nchez
    Published on May 9, 2020 at 7:05 a.m.

    In recent days, the number of people, among the personnel considered to be on the front line, —public employees, especially health care— infected with the new coronavirus has increased, and with it the insistent complaints about lack of care and protection for this group. .

    After a tour in the National Hospital of Chimaltenango, the Health Ombudsman of the Human Rights Ombudsman (PDH) reported this Friday, May 8, the finding of nine doctors infected with covid-19.

    The PDH pointed out that these are six resident doctors and three shift managers from the Maternity area, who are already in quarantine.

    The finding came after a complaint was received from the same doctors, that the infections occurred due to the lack of supplies to protect themselves from the virus.

    The positive cases detected will cause attention to drop at that hospital, since only three resident doctors and two chiefs remain.

    In Escuintla, Mar?a Isabel Pedroza, director of the Health Area, reported that they have detected 27 positive cases, including a group of doctors who worked in the Amatitl?n hospital. Without giving details regarding the number, he said that they are already in quarantine.

    Protective equipment missing

    Zulma Calder?n, PDH Health advocate, explained that each week they assess the conditions of different hospital care centers, and one of the biggest complaints from medical personnel is that they need more protective equipment.

    Regarding the situation in Chimaltenango, he affirmed, a series of anonymous calls and complaints were received. "We investigated and found that there were positive cases," said Calder?n.

    Jorge Luis Ranero, president of the College of Physicians, confirmed that the doctors denounced that "they do not have protection supplies" to attend the pandemic.

    "The first line of care is the vulnerable, all the staff: doctors, nurses and technicians," said Ranero.

    The PDH assured that at least five outbreaks have been identified in the tours.

    In the Health Center of Santa Catarina la Tinta, Alta Verapaz, two positive cases were detected among medical personnel.

    Two other cases were confirmed at the Izabal Health Center and 40 people were quarantined.

    Calder?n also reported that five infections among medical personnel were confirmed at Roosevelt Hospital and 25 people were confined.

    He assured that two more cases were detected in the central administration of the Ministry of Health.

    "There have been no contracts to strengthen health services. The same personnel who regularly attend the services are those who are responding to the emergency. This means that the same personnel who go out to vaccinate are the same ones who do the home visits to the positive cases, it is the same one that runs the tuberculosis and HIV programs, ”said Calder?n.

    He added that "the services are doubly weakened because in the hospitals it is the same personnel who attend the shifts who have had to respond to the situation."

    According to the defender, "a large part of the Health services have not been hired, because the Ministry of Health has not made the budget transfers so that they can be available for hiring, and therefore, there is no money to supply the protection supplies of medical personnel ”.
    Infections in the PNC

    Doctors aren't the only ones dealing with infections.

    It was also confirmed this Friday, May 8, that 15 agents of the National Civil Police (PNC), from the substation of the Land?var neighborhood, zone 7 of the capital, remain in quarantine after a positive case was detected.

    The troops have been confined since last Saturday, because an agent who returned from the break had symptoms and after evaluating it, it was confirmed that he was infected with covid-19. Two more cases are still under study, as they may have been infected.

    "One was positive and we must remain in quarantine for 14 days, despite the fact that the evidence has come out that we are not infected," explained a confined police officer.

    Neighbors noticed the emergency at the police station and have taken precautions, for which they have installed sanitary cords. In addition, they bring food to the confined police officers and disinfect visitors on their own.
    Other infections

    In seven of the 14 municipalities of Escuintla, the Departmental Development Council reported on Thursday, at least 27 positive cases have been detected.

    He assured that the infected are a group of deportees who were in quarantine and while they were in confinement, the tests were performed and they tested positive.

    At a press conference, the Chiquimula Emergency Operations Center (COE) confirmed the first three cases in that department.

    Mar?a Elena Alas, director of the Chiquimula Health area, said 1,355 people have been in quarantine, of which 546 have already left.

    With information from Wilber L?pez
Working...
X