A Health Worker writes…

Written by Prince Assandoh-Mensah in 2020

I remember my first assignment as a Health Worker was in an infectious/communicable disease unit. I can still remember the very words the Superior told me on my first visit;
“Count yourself as, you’re in a safe haven. Here you’re battling with a known enemy that many other health workers are similarly battling with, yet they do not know” (paraphrased )

I will say there are two categories of health workers in this Covid-19 Pandemic Fight.

Category A know the very enemy they are battling with. They know how to attack and defend themselves from this enemy. They have enough missiles and know exactly when and how to use them.

Category B are fighting quite a number of enemies; many of them are harmless and some, harmful. Their list of enemies include that of Category A, a harmful enemy. They don’t usually get to know which of their enemies are harmful, until they come into contact with them. Part of their work is to arrest the harmful enemies and send to Category A for management. But most times, they are hit by the harmful enemies before they get to identify them.

Today Category A Health Workers are what the government call the front line health workers. They have a life insurance, 50% additional emoluments and tax exemption.

Category B are the general health workers not directly recruited for Covid management. They only have tax exemption. They get to become Category A, or get some form of insurance cover, PRESUMABLY, when they directly get involved in a Covid case; for instance like pre-triaging a Covid case. (The government has not even come clear on this)

So for instance,

Patient A, a known Diabetic, was rushed to the Emergency Unit on account of unconsciousness. Blood Sugar was low, pulse was thready and BP was low on arrival. Patient dies after 2hours of resuscitation. Patient was neither a suspected nor confirmed case of Covid. Prior to that incidence, no Covid case have been confirmed in the hospital too.

Assuming the patient who died had a pre-symptomatic Covid, which was not detected even to the grave and four days later, one health worker starts having Covid symptoms and later confirmed Covid.

How can we be able to determine this as a hospital case or nosocomial infection?

Don’t you think it could be concluded as a community case?

Will the government put this health worker under Category A to enjoy life insurance in case the unfortunate happens?

Will the health worker now starts to enjoy the 50% additional emoluments, at least for fighting Covid unknowingly? If yes, from when?

This and many other reasons why the state must come clear concerning our conditions of service amidst the pandemic.

At least, let’s ask the right questions?

If for nothing at all, let’s ask our government officials to come clear on certain issues pertaining to our conditions of service.

Across the globe, health workers are dying due to Covid. China alone recorded over 1500 Covid health worker infections. You are not immune to it dear

You can be a notional hero, but your family needs you more. Let’s fight this pandemic with our eyes open.

Yes, I am ready to fight Covid, and I know you’re ready too. But in case I become a Covid stats, what happens to the young ones I leave behind?