• Inconsiderate use of medical kits, protective materials poses dire shortage in rainy season
As the world is racing against time to save people from the grave threat that COVID-19 has posed, which has already claimed tens of thousands of human lives, countries even the powerful ones are scrambling for medical kits and protective equipment. With the U.S. and Canada reporting as they have faced a shortage of ventilators, gloves, facemasks, and other required materials, the problem is expected to paint a dire situation in African countries that heavily rely on imports the medical supplies.
Besides the cash-strapped African economies’ critical limitations to afford the needed equipment, such as ventilators, medical supplies have already become scarce in the market as production almost comes into a halt. And medical experts including from the World Health Organization (WHO) are clamoring for international aid to avail the much-needed medical kits as developing countries braces for tough times.
However, the international nature of the virus is impeding global cooperation forcing nations to be occupied with fighting the pandemic internally. Few international tycoons in the person of Jack Ma, owner of Alibaba Group has been sending a huge amount of medical kits for distribution to all African countries with the Ethiopian Airlines dispatching the equipment.
The second batch of the medical kits and personal protective materials have arrived this week. Still, given the amount needed, the donations are far from enough in which governments are urging international communities to support one of the world’s disadvantaged communities. Ethiopia is said to have less than six hundred ventilators, a mechanical apparatus that help treat patients facing the extreme difficulty of breathing on their own.
Also, there have been reports of a shortage of gloves, masks and other equipment that help both the public and the medical professionals from contamination. Though experts are advising nations to fix the eye on prevention approach, they are also urging governments to strive to increase medical kits and protective materials to treat patients and protect health professionals. Coronavirus is an international phenomenon that is testing the world’s capacity to counter contagious disease and this is building pressure in all countries.
This trend may hinder cooperation which makes the fight against the pandemic difficult. With producers of medical kits and protective materials ceasing production, the virus could take a bigger toll in developing nations that relies on imports of the muchneeded equipment, said Fith Tola, a pharmacy expert. “Ethiopia obviously has a few amounts of medical and protective equipment in its stock. Ironically, there seems to be an unwise and improper use of scarce material.
This is wastage that could pose serious challenges in the rainy season to come.” People are making use of the available equipment without the required care, and some of the scarce protective materials are going into people who can stay home and protect themselves. This trend may result in a shortage where those health professionals who are in the frontline of the fight would find it hard to access it, according to him. The seemingly small but of highest value equipment are very important to save lives. The health workers should be protected first if they are to help the public.
The government in this regard needs to aware of the people and put mechanisms so that the medical professionals have the required equipment. Preparing hospitals and treatment centers is one thing and supplying them with the needed equipment is another one. And for the treatment to go right, wise and proper use of the available materials is worthwhile.
The Ethiopian Herald April 10/2020
BY DESTA GEBREHIWOT
