Are Frontline Medical Personnel Prepared to Respond to COVID-19?

COVID-19, that’s what the Belize Medical and Dentist Association said today. On Monday the association sent out a release sharing the concerns of doctors, nurses and other medical staff on the frontline. Those concerns include the quality and accessibility to personal protective gears; adequate trainings, as well testing of medical workers for COVID-19. Today, we spoke with Doctor Atanacio Cobb, an ENTC specialist, who outlines those concerns and why frontline workers don’t feel ready to respond to the COVID-19.

On the Phone: Dr. Atanacio Cobb, Executive Member, BMDA

“There is the inadequate supply of PPEs, or personal protective equipment; the poor quality of these materials. The untimely distribution or I would say the inefficient distribution to the people who on the front line. They would like to have more training, especially in the areas of isolation management of the patient; they would like to also have proper quarantine for the physicians, nurses, anybody on the frontline if in the event they get infected, a place where they can stay and not going home to their loved ones.”

Andrea Polanco

“Have you gotten the sense that the frontline workers who are working in healthcare, do they feel prepared right now to work in the current state of things as it relates to COVID-19?”

On the Phone: Dr. Atanacio Cobb

“I think the overall consensus is that they feel unprepared. There has been some training but they are saying the training has not been enough and they would like more training.”