Dozens of doctors and nurses working in Greece’s public hospitals have been tested positive on coronavirus and some 300 members of medical staff across the country are in home isolation, unions of hospital workers POEDIN said also on Wednesday.
“We are decimated, if masks do not come, there will be many losses,” said POEDIN President Michalis Giannakos
According to Panos Papanikolaou from the Federation of Hospital Medical Associations of Greece EGEN, four health officials at Agios Savvas Hospital for Cancer treatment in Athens were tested positive.
Tested positive has been also a radiologist at the Erythros Stavros Hospital, also in the Greek capital. The section for MSI has been closed down, 20 workers are in house isolation, one nurse is being tested.
10 doctors and 11 nurses from Ippokratio Hospital have been also placed in house isolation, after one doctor at the Ears-Nose-Larynx clinic has been tested positive. The clinic was closed for disinfection, patients were transferred other hospitals.
On Wednesday, the General Manager of Gennimatas hospital and 6 members of the administrative department have been also tested positive on coronavirus.
State broadcaster ERT reported that one doctor, one nurse and one administrative staff have been tested positive in Agia Olga hospital with the effect that a total of 10 people have been sent in house isolation.
The general clinic in Elpis hospital was closed for disinfection on Wednesday after two doctors were reportedly tested positive on COVID-19.
Infected personnel is not only to be found in Athens but also in other hospitals across the country.
In Kastoria, northern Greece, more than 5 doctors have been tested positive and another 60 are in house isolation.
They appealed on Facebook for face masks!
Γιατροι του νοσοκομειου Καστοριας απευθυνουν μεσω fb(!) εκκληση για μασκες Νο95 κ για Ffp 2 και 3!!Ειναι το νοσοκομειο με πανω απο 60 γιατρους σε καραντινα και τουλαχιστον 5 που νοσουν.Κι οσοι εργαζονται δεν εχουν τροπο να προστατευτουν κ.@Vkikilias.Eιναι κανονικο αυτο?#κορονοιος
— dimitra fotiadou (@dimitrafotiadou) March 18, 2020
POEDIN President Giannakos warned that another 300 doctors are in house isolation and that 48 docotrs, nurses and paramedics across the country have tested positive, with some of them to have symptoms of COVID-19. He is also in house isolation.
“What the medical world has long been afraid of seems to turn into reality,” notes medical issues website healthreport.
“Hospital doctors have been complaining complained for days that protective measures have not been taken for both the medical and nursing sectors,” the website adds. Masks and gloves are reportedly a rarity.
“”Health care providers will be put in a 7-day and not a 14-day quarantine in order not to weaken the health system and they will return to hospitals even if they need to work with a mask, taking the necessary safety measures,” spokesman of the N eNationla Health Organization Sotiris Tsiodras said during the daily briefing on Tuesday.
Tsiodras called on clinics closed for disinfection to “remain open, thus respecting all safety measures.”
“Some medical staff has been infected after coming in contact with suspected patient without the necessary protection measures or has been infected outside the hospital,” Tsiodras said on Wednesday.
“Health care personnel is the forefront of the health system,” he underlined.
