Rebalance workload on health system by providing helpful resources

August 11, 2020

 

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all medical professionals have experienced an increased workload this year.

They are taking an enormous personal risk, for themselves and their families, in caring for the sick and enforcing the 21-day quarantine among those who returned from foreign countries.

In this time of crisis, local health and administrative authorities are working on the frontline without days off, and all people are requested to understand that they are performing their duty under great pressure.

The National Health Laboratory (Yangon) is one of the departments which has unexpectedly seen an increased workload this year.

Thanks to the cooperation of the NHL (Yangon), the central health authority for infectious diseases and regional and state public health and treatment departments, our country will be able to contain the coronavirus infection. With continuous cooperation between us, we can put our country on its current success trajectory to contain the COVID-19 disease.

The Ministry of Health and Sports is obliged to ease the workload on their shoulders by fulfilling their requirements, which can help to relieve stress and allow the workers to have a more relaxed environment.

Being the country’s main laboratory, the NHL (Yangon) must be upgraded and its organizational set-up expanded in efforts to help the professionals work smart in a relaxed environment.

It is worth noting that plans are underway to provide COVID-19 tests in 26 district-towns in August as part of a plan for expansion of COVID-19 laboratories in the country. We welcome this step as it would share the burden of the NHL (Yangon).

So far, over 130,000 COVID-19 tests have been carried out until 7th August since the outbreak in Myanmar.

As we are not out of the woods yet, our people are advised to help our health professionals and workers, who remain at the frontlines of battling the pandemic, by following the health guidelines.

When misunderstanding and disagreements occur between health workers, administrative authorities and the people, everyone should solve their problems through negotiation, as we all are working together for the same goal of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.

During this stressful time, it is important for health systems and organizations to create an infrastructure with resources that support professionals, physicians, nurses and health care team members.

The most important thing is to be patient with them. Be nice to them. And remember, they’re under stress, too.

 

GNLM