[ad_1]
According to the hospital’s outbreak report, there were several “critical lapses” in infection prevention standards.
This included the “use of contaminated cleaning equipment and medical equipment between the ICU and ward,” “congested ICU space with inadequate ventilation” and “non-use of PPE … in high-risk areas.”
The outbreak at Sandeman Provincial Hospital has sparked “panic” among local healthcare workers, said Dr Bahar Shah, Chairman of the Young Doctors Association in Balochistan.
“They are afraid to work because when the patients come into the Emergency Room they are directly shifted to the wards without proper diagnosis due to unavailability of laboratory services in Emergency.”
Doctor bled ‘profusely’ from his nose
The healthcare professionals who deal with infected patients are at a high risk of contracting the disease due to inadequate biosafety policies and practices, Dr Shah said, adding that staff lack the necessary equipment and PPE needed to manage and prevent outbreaks.
“The spread occurred because suspected patients were initially kept in the general ward, and a diagnosis was made after four or five days. During this period, doctors and nurses had direct contact with the patients,” he said.
Dr Shah said the government should take concrete steps to create isolation wards for suspected patients, which could help to reduce transmission within hospitals.
Across Pakistan, nearly three per cent of the population has antibodies for Crimean-Congo fever, indicating a previous infection with the virus. There is a higher prevalence among rural inhabitants because of their exposure to tick-carrying livestock.
Pakistan has a livestock population of 200 million, owned by either commercial dairy farms and husbandries or the rural dwelling community.
[ad_2]
Source link