#BTEditorial – Protect healthcare workers from abuse

It was not long ago that our healthcare workers were being celebrated for the fantastic work they are doing to keep this country relatively safe from the COVID-19 pandemic.

That was 2020 when we were prepared to knock pans and pots in our neighbourhoods each night. Our children designed pretty signs displaying our pride and gratitude to those on the frontlines of the coronavirus war.

As a country, we were prepared to shell out significant sums of money to compensate the medical teams for the service they were providing that placed them at high risk of contracting the disease from which they were trying to save us.

From our Emergency Ambulance Service workers, and Barbados Defence Force soldiers, who to this day transport COVID-19 positive patients, to our doctors and nurses, orderlies, and cleaners – they were treated with honour. Stores even offered discounts and special shopping hours were carved out for their convenience.

But something has happened in 2021. We suspect that there is growing COVID-19 fatigue. People are tired and frustrated that they cannot see light at the end of the tunnel with this viral illness after nearly two years of sacrifices.

Recent disclosures that healthcare workers were being attacked at the various isolation and health facilities are a reminder of the 180-degree shift that has taken place regarding the treatment of frontline workers, and healthcare providers in particular.

Director of the medical services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Dr Clyde Cave revealed that in a single week, at least three medical staff were physically assaulted by angry patients.

We were told that one nurse was punched in the chest, a doctor hit in the face and a nursing practitioner also assaulted. These despicable acts towards professionals seeking to care for the ill, should be condemned at the highest level.

Already stressed and burdened by exceedingly long hours, the fear and anxiety of catching COVID-19 or even exposing their own family members and loved ones to the disease, are taking a toll on the people we depend on most.

“We all know these are very stressful times, and that means from the doctors and nurses at the top as health care providers, all the way down to those in housekeeping, orderlies, have been stretched out even before COVID-19. In the last few days, we’ve had three people hit, and don’t mention the verbal assaults in the Accident & Emergency Department.

“We are seeing a lot more of this now. It’s physical aggression. We are very aware that patients feel anger, a sense of blame and denial, but we’re caught in the crossfire now more than ever before,” said Dr Cave in a recent media report.

For us, this is shocking behaviour and should never be normalised or excused. We understand that Barbadians are under tremendous stress from the pandemic and the attendant economic and social fallout.

But so are our frontline workers who are witnessing the illness, pain suffering and death first-hand. They are expected to perform their duties in a professional way and provide high-quality service no matter what stressors they are confronting in the workplace and at home.

These workers are parents too, struggling to ensure their children’s education, safety and health are also protected. They are still expected to pay their mortgages, electricity and utility bills, purchase food for their families, while still providing care and solace to the sick and dying at work.

As Dr Cave lamented: “The work is coming from the same pool of people and the expectation is that we still provide the same quantity of medical service, so that has made it extremely difficult to continue. When the response from the families or patients is one of abuse, whether in person or on social media, whether it’s physical confrontation, it is demoralising.”

And the cruel wave of illness and death triggered by the highly contagious Delta variant continues to take a toll on the mental wellness of the population, including our healthcare providers.

The request of Barbadians from our healthcare providers is simple. They want us to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 protocols by wearing masks in public and when around others, even in our homes; wash our hands frequently with soap and water; and seek to maintain at least six feet distance between ourselves and others. If we feel ill, they want us to get tested promptly.

Importantly, they have asked us to take any of the three COVID-19 vaccines available free of cost, as another layer in the armour against this viral illness.

Our healthcare workers deserve a respite and the only ones who can provide them with that is us, by our actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19.