Mickela Panday: Show care for healthcare workers

PATRIOTIC Front political leader Mickela Panday is appealing to citizens to be compassionate and considerate towards frontline healthcare workers, especially during this period of increased restrictions on public movement to curb the spread of covid19.

In a video clip sent to Newsday, Panday said, "The country right now is in an unprecedented situation. In our generation, we have never faced anything like this."

She paid tribute to frontline healthcare workers "who risk their lives and their families' lives every day for the well-being of us all."

She said they are the ones who go out when everyone else is expected to stay home. "Every exposure could lead to life-threatening consequences."

Panday said it is easy for some people to forget that these people "are as vulnerable as patients, given the contagion of the virus." She said at no other time in TT's history "has the work of patient care been such a dangerous profession."

Noting the challenges faced by healthcare workers and patients at health facilities in different parts of the country, Panday said this has caused many of the former to be working almost to the point of exhaustion while the latter may experience problems such as lack of basic amenities or privacy.

"This lack of accommodation and proper organisation of patients often lead to (covid19) positive patients mixing with (covid19) negative patients."

Should such situations occur, Panday said this is not the fault of the healthcare workers tending to the patients' needs.

She expressed concerns about these workers being overworked and burnt-out. Panday asked the relevant authorities to ensure that they receive adequate and appropriate resources to do their jobs.

She said, "Applause for health workers is not enough. You must listen to them and take action to support them."

All healthcare workers want from the public, she said, is their understanding and support.

"They are our frontline warriors against this dreaded disease. We must protect them because without them there would be no us," Panday said.