Says Claims That High Rate Of’COVID-19 Among Liberian Health Workers Due Denial Is Not True
PHOTO: Dr. Linda Birch, LMDC President
The Liberia Medical and Dental Council (LMDC) has refuted claims made by Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, Minister of Health that the high infection rate of COVID-19 among nurses and health workers is due to ‘state of denial and carelessness,’ a press statement from the LMDC said in Monrovia over the weekend.
The LMDC would appreciate were Dr. Jallah to provide evidence of state of denial of health workers particularly nurses as reported.
Dr. Jallah’s statement clearly revea1s that she shows no empathy towards her frontline workers and there is lack of coordination and collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the health professional bodies resulting to lack of confidence in the health system. Was any survey conducted by the MOH to ascertain the high rates of infection among health workers? If so, with whom did Dr.Jallah share the information and what did she do? Did she disseminate the information with the relevant bodies?, the LMDC asked.
According to Dr. Linda A. Birch, President of the LMDC, such verbal attack on nurses and health workers by Dr. Jallah is reckless and undermines the sacrifices nurses and health workers are making in the fight against COVID 19. Dr. Jallah should cease shifting blames and instead encourage and motivate the healthworkers.
The LMDC suggests that the MOH review her communication strategies and include experts to address the pandemic. Liberia has qualified professionals with worth of experience to offer as we strive to overcome the pandemic
The LMDC head claims that from its own assessment, health workers are being affected due to lack of PPEs and other protective gears. She is calling on the Minister of Health to carry out an assessment to ascertain why health workers are getting affected, and to the extent, shying away from patients suspected of COVID 19.
Dr. Birch: “Money paid to hotels to isolate suspected COVID 19 patients from the very beginning should have gone towards procuring PPEs and other protective gears. We are having a surge of the virus among health workers because resources are being misapplied”.
Dr. Birch also accused the Minister or her representative of refusing to attend meetings called by LMDC to discuss and strategize ways of handling the pandemic. “Despite her refusal to attend meetings called by LMDC, LMDC has equally reached out to her in a face-to-face meeting to acquaint her with findings and to ascertain LMDC’s role in COVID 19 Response”, she further explained.
As a regulatory body of health professionals and health facilities, the LMDC head expressed frustration and disappointment in Dr. Jallah’s failure to assist her organization with logistics to enable that body carry out monitoring and supervision.
Liberia with an estimated doctor to patients’ ratio of 1: 15,000, Dr. Birch wonders why Dr. Jallah would want to proceed with retiring doctors at this time of a health crisis despite verbal and written appeals not to do so. “How can you start retiring doctors when you have a shortage of doctors and these doctors are still willing and strong to continue working”, she asked.
“Dr. Jallah’s communication skills and strategies for combating COVID 19 in Liberia are not working and she needs to see that and improve on it. A statement like this attributing the surge of the virus among nurses and health workers due to ‘state of denial’ is very insensitive. Dr. Jallah is the only Minister of Health in the whole world who is blaming her own kind of such amidst the sacrifices they are making with little or nothing to work with”, she concluded.
Meanwhile, the LMDC extends sympathy to the families of all heath workers who have lost their lives as a result of the sacrifices they made in the fight against COVID 19 in Liberia and wish and pray for the speedy recovery of those currently undergoing treatment.
Finally, the LMDC wishes to affirm that COVID 19 is real and calls on all Liberians to adhere to all health protocols as provided by health authorities.