The 18th-century Welsh factory owner and social reformer, Robert Owen was known for saying, “God and the Doctor we alike adore. But only when in danger, not before; the danger o’er, both are alike requited, God is forgotten, and the Doctor slighted.” This holds a true story even today as many would think doctors might know the answer for all buzz of people seeking relief from their illness. People of modern-day have a strong conviction of getting a stroke of healing at the hands of a physician.
Physicians and healthcare professionals around the world are a good portrait of the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. They are directly impacted by the virus tragedy. Recently, a nurse took and posted a picture of a man holding up a sign to a window of Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey, the USA that went viral on social media after the hospital staff saved his wife’s life. The sign reads: “Thank you all in an emergency for saving my wife’s life I love you all.”
Today, a record number of medical professionals are dying while thousands contracted coronavirus amid the fight to save lives. The documented causality starts with four Chinese doctors; from the 29-year-old Dr. Peng Yinhua, who delayed his wedding to join the fight against the virus, to Dr. Liu Zhiming and Dr. Xu Depu and later the inspiring Wuhan whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang. These frontline causalities are demonstrations to virtuous heroism in the face of the deadly virus. Perhaps many people could find it difficult to assume what these doctors and health workers are going through behind those isolated emergency walls to discharge another well-recovered person. Working almost around the clock sometimes these doctors go beyond their medical duties to perform tasks such as furnishing emergency settings. They also cheer moments of hope as they see some encouraging cases like patients in critical condition recovered while others discharged from their frontlines (hospitals) after rounds of diagnoses.
Keeping the Oath keepers
Named after the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, who is widely considered to be the author of one of the oldest binding documents in history, “Hippocratic Oath” is still held sacred by physicians and other healthcare professionals: to treat the ill to the best of one’s ability, to preserve a patient’s privacy, to teach the secrets of medicine to the next generation, and so on. As the coronavirus crisis keeps unfolding mainly in Europe and the United States, the prospect of mass contagion moving into Africa is worrisome. The disease seems to spread in the continent in a slow flood mode moving somewhere beyond the horizon of detection.
With so much gruesome practice shading every news hour, doctors are learning a great deal about treating the disease around the world proving that the battle has yet met the course. Hence, the psychology of local healthcare workers is vital for a potential major fight. Keeping in mind the Oath that reads: “I will not be ashamed to say “I know not,” nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient’s recovery,” African physicians can learn from the existing best practices in the rest of the world, particularly from Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China. While traditional healers are telling hopes yet supported by proven discovery against this virus; on the other hand, governments should implement a fast tailored strategy (be it overnight) to mobilize physicians along with urgently needed hospital gears in order to save the staff from inadequate protection and save many lives.
Early this month, for instance, the British Medical Association has expressed its fear for those working on the frontline noting that doctors will face “agonizing choices” over who gets potentially life-saving treatments. This will be an indisputably agonizing choice for Ethiopian healthcare professionals where the total number of mechanical ventilators accounts only for a few hundred. Despite their “heroic efforts” along with specialist life-support machines called Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), which will be needed for the sickest patients to aid breathing and, when possible, save lives, the Association warned that doctors will have to make life-death decisions more often and sometimes based on capacity rather than just need.
Like never before many physicians are taking part in the battle and make important contributions in controlling COVID-19. However, the battle is beyond taking suspects’ temperatures or advising citizens to stay home and practice frequent hand wash. Healthcare professionals have risked and persisted, sacrificed and saved lives at different times, and it is at the best conviction of this writer that they will continue their heroic deeds this time too. Fortunately, the triumph of many physicians around the world will help to alert local practitioners on every possible anomaly that arises with this virus.
Indeed, physicians are made not to be afraid of hardship or fatigue. However, this doesn’t necessarily make them superhumans who withstand the essence of solidarity and support. Like many cultures around the world that place family above everything these are people in white coats and aprons going to the emergency frontlines leaving their loved ones behind. They need their family, community (including those who rented them residential houses) and the government understand them in the right way, especially in difficult times such as these, when many people could flock to the hospitals at any point in time.
Lessons from the ongoing battle in the rest of the world show lack of proper masks, surgical gloves, gowns and eye gear imperiling the ability of medical workers to fight the coronavirus. It is also clear that Africa’s infrastructure isn’t ready for a massive outbreak and the virus certainly will have major health, social and economic consequences. In a bid to augment the already started battle, health authorities in Ethiopia are calling for trained medical workers from every walk to join efforts. While doing so it is indispensable to take note of medical workers’ fear and act on it through vigorous work of preparing stockpile of medical gears – particularly the mechanical ventilators. Due to these critical factors, emergency centers must not strain the persons in charge of leading the battle against the disease.
Unlike many countries in the region Ethiopia was able to gain vital experience in the fight against deadly disease particularly after sending about 200 doctors, nurses and public health professionals to the Ebola-stricken West Africa in 2014. In tandem with Ethiopia’s tradition of solidarity in Africa, it was also perceived that the best way to reduce the risk of the Ebola crisis spreading outside West Africa was to fight it there. Something observes didn’t pay too much attention by the time was also the importance of these healthcare professionals equipping for situations like today. And many of these professionals who brought Ebola under control are fighting coronavirus pandemic. Certainly, the West African battle proved that shortages of items resulted in inappropriate reuse or inadequate sterilization put both patients and staff at risk.
Ever since the father of Modern Battlefield Medicine, Dr. Jonathan Letterman created a 3-tiered evacuation system by revamping the Army Medical Corps in 1862, the modern-day battle for medics has remained different from the traditional battlefield only for the absence of roaring weaponries. This is a silent battle! And the world can no longer make coronavirus a mystery which should not have been a surprise for the world of Ebola, SARS, MERS, and HIV. Unfortunately, lessons are easily forgotten to keep the spread of the disease somewhere. Until there comes a time when the still-raging epidemic has finally conquered the battle for humanity shall continue. This is a tribute to those courageous medical workers fighting coronavirus pandemic at home and beyond.
The Ethiopian Herald April 7/2020
BY KIRAM TADESSE
