Nurses at the Accidents and Emergency Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hosptial have announced that they will not work until all of them are tested for coronavirus.
The aggrieved nurses explain that their lives and that of their families have been put at risk following reports that a patient who had been admitted at the department tested positive for COVID-19.
“It is sad to inform our heads of department that it has created fear and panic among we the nurses who are always close to the patients.
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“We write with deep pain and regret as such information has been kept from us and consequently putting us at risk. As we write this letter, a substantial number of nurses at the centre are not in their right state of mind,” the Coalition of Nurses at the Accident and Emergency Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital said in a press release issued on Friday.
The nurses are also asking for the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to be provided to aid their work.
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“This will help us deal with all forms of psychological and emotional stress, so we can work with sound minds and give our patients the best of care,” the coalition of nurses said in the release.
Earlier, doctors at the same department threatened to withdraw their services over claims of poor preparedness to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The doctors wrote to their heads in a memo complaining that it was dangerous for a sideward at the department to be used as a coronavirus isolation centre while they lack Personal Protective Equipment.
The full release by the coalition of nurses has been published below.
COALITION OF NURSES AT ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY CENTER, KORLE-BU TEACHING HOSPITAL
We write in line to the content of a letter circulating about a patient who tested positive to COVID-19 at the Accident and Emergency Center.
It is sad to inform our heads of department that it has created fear and panic among we the nurses who are always close to the patients.
We write with deep pain and regret as such information has been kept from us and consequently putting us at risk.
As we write this letter, a substantial number of nurses at the centre are not in their right state of mind.
We are emotionally and psychologically stressed and saddened with fear and panic.
Our head of department informed us of a planned mass testing for staffs but we are yet to be informed of a date for the exercise.
Our official letter for this action is ready and will be submitted to the appropriate offices on Monday, April 6, 2020.
We, therefore, come together as aggrieved nurses of this centre that we are not working until everyone in the department is tested and results submitted and sorted out.
Also, all the appropriate PPEs should be provided to aid us work effectively and efficiently without putting ourselves and patients at risk.
This will help us deal with all forms of psychological and emotional stress, so we can work with sound minds and give our patients the best of care.
In conclusion, all we want to say is,
NO TESTING WITH SUBMITTED RESULTS, NO WORK
NO APPROPRIATE PPEs, NO WORK
Signed:
NURSES AT ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY CENTER, KBTH
