The upward trend in the number of doctors being infected with Covid-19 is showing no sign of easing, with yet another 17 medics testing positive for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus across the country.
Among them, at least two are currently undergoing treatment in ICUs, according to Bangladesh Doctors’ Foundation (BDF).
The number of infected doctors has almost doubled in the span of four days, jumping from 65 on April 15 to 123 as of yesterday afternoon.
Expressing frustration over “substandard” personal protection equipment (PPE) being provided to health professionals, BDF founder and Chief Administrator Dr Nirupam Das said: “All we need is quality PPE, especially masks and goggles.”
In a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon, the doctor wrote: “In the work order for PPE procurement, specifications were mentioned for every single item.
“However, none of the items have been supplied in accordance with the specifications. Locally made N95 masks and low-quality gowns have been provided [to health workers], instead,” he added.
Dr Nirupam further said the price for the items was estimated considering high-quality PPE, and he sought the prime minister’s intervention to rectify the problem.
Around 25% of doctors and nurses, as well as around 60% of support staff engaged in treating coronavirus patients, are yet to receive PPE, according to a recent Brac survey.
However, the government claims it has distributed 1,069,264 sets of PPE across the country as of April 17 and has 390,032 more in stock.
Dhaka and Narayanganj, the two major clusters of community transmission of the deadly coronavirus in the country, continue to be danger zones for doctors as well. Most of the newly infected health professionals were working in the two districts.
Bangladesh reported the first death of a doctor on April 15. Earlier on April 12, a doctor had died with Covid-19 like symptoms in Dhaka.
Meanwhile, a doctor of the state-run Noakhali General Hospital was served with a show-cause notice on Saturday, for claiming there was a shortage of PPE at his department in a social media post on April 16.
On April 15, the Directorate General of Nursing and Midwifery ordered its staff members to refrain from speaking in public or to the media without prior permission.
