Public health expert Ala Tocarciuc says existing data indicate that in the next few months we could see a potential rise in the number of both Covid cases and patients that develop severe forms of the disease. Given these circumstances and also taking into account the enduring problem of the human resource shortage, the authorities need to think of mechanisms to alleviate the mounting pressure on the health care workers.
Speaking at a public debate on the efficiency of the anti-Covid crisis management, Ala Tocarciuc said that the authorities owe medical workers a lot. “Thanks to doctors, we managed to obtain good scores in some areas. For example, the mortality rate in relation to the total population is low. The quality of treatment is also good. This is all thanks to doctors.”
According to her, the health system has worked on three dimensions. The National Agency on Public Health has to work on prevention, on patient detection, and tracing of contacts. When patients develop the first symptoms, they are taken over by the primary medicine system. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient enters the treatment department. “These three segments suffered the first shock when the first patients appeared and when the medical workers did not have adequate protective equipment. However, forces were regrouped very quickly and society mobilized, including by raising funds, sewing masks and other such things. So, at the end of April, medical workers, already having equipment, felt a little safer,” said Ala Tocarciuc.
But, in her opinion, in the emergency and primary medicine department, the shock continues. This because, if in March and during the summer only patients with Covid and serious emergencies requested help, now chronic patients have returned due to seasonal exacerbations. And so the emergency primary medicine continues to work under great pressure even today.
On a different subject, the expert remarked that, with the pandemic, a conflict of interests has emerged within society, with several groups taking shape. Someone put economic interests first. Another group, supported by religious communities, has denied the existence of the virus and continues to deny it today. There’s also the medical community that warns that people are dying, that medical staff are suffocating in protective equipment and demand responsibility from the general public. At the same time, there’s a part of society that is somewhat neutral and not engaging in discussions or decision-making.
“This confrontation, in particular between the economic and the medical camp, continues to this day. And even in other countries, with stricter measures, people are protesting en masse. Which is what awaits us in the coming weeks. The number of patients will increase. The authorities will want to introduce new restrictive measures, a lockdown specifically. But the economy-oriented, the religious and maybe some of the neutral groups will take to the streets to protest the lockdown,” added Ala Tocarciuc.
The debate was conducted as part of ADEPT’s project "Keeping an eye on the authorities: managing the Coronavirus emergency and crisis", with the support of the Good Governance Department of the Soros Foundation Moldova.
