Topic: COVID-19 Update from National Medical Association

August 20, 2022, Saturday; 9.30-10 am

• In Singapore, private sector hospitals are fully occupied and there is a long waiting list for admissions to hospital. There is a similar problem in public sector hospitals too. Patients often stay in emergency unit for up to 72 hours and sometimes are often discharged from the emergency unit itself. The elderly population has been deconditioned, both physically and mentally, over the two years of the pandemic.
• The problems being faced are a huge deluge of backlog of cases and shortage of nurses. They have either resigned to take a break as they have not seen their families for more than two years or moved to countries like the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand, where they have been offered green cards/permanent residencies and are allowed to bring their families along. This was not allowed in Singapore. A large cluster of TB was detected in an entire block of flats, where at least 70-80 people tested positive for TB. The whole apartment block was sealed off.
• There are no infectious disease wards in Pakistan in any public sector hospitals. The PMA has advised the government that such wards should be permanently established to manage infectious diseases other than Covid-19. Like many countries, Pakistan too has been facing economic burden since the pandemic. There is a staff shortage because of brain drain. Also, there are very few schools/universities for nurses and other paramedical staff. This is also a reason for less staff in hospitals. Security is also a concern, especially in rural areas.
• South Africa is also facing problems such as price hike, escalating petrol prices, staff shortage, drug stock-outs, broken equipment, shortage of doctors who have left for countries like Ireland, UK, Canada. These critical problems are not being addressed. The government is facing a funding issue and there is insufficient budget to recruit more doctors and nurses. Private hospitals are full with patients of chronic diseases. Covid-19 disrupted the follow-up of chronic disease such as tuberculosis and now patients are coming back with advanced disease. Infections such as flu, RSV are rising as most people now do not wear masks. The winter season and rains have added to the problem. Flooding has led to rise in water-borne diseases.
• Covid-19 has pushed back all other diseases, which are now coming back in a fast and furious manner.
• There are several aspects of Covid-19, which are still unknown to us. But it has had a tremendous effect on the immune system, though the extent of its impact is uncertain.
• People across the world have gone through lot of stress in the last couple of years due to loss of freedom, travel, livelihood; many lost their families. This is difficult to quantify. As a result, many people, including healthcare workers, have quit their jobs.
• Several challenges are still left over from Covid-19. Chronic diseases are not well taken care of and surveillance for many ongoing infectious diseases is being curtailed.

Participants

Member National Medical Associations

Dr Yeh Woei Chong, Singapore, Chair of Council CMAAO

Dr Wasiq Qazi, Pakistan, President-elect, CMAAO

Dr Mvuyisi Mzukwa, South Africa

Dr Akhtar Hussain, South Africa

Dr Salma Kundi, Pakistan

Dr Mulazim Hussain Bukhari, Pakistan

Invitees

Dr EC Ng

Dr Patricia La’Brooy

Dr S Sharma, Editor IJCP Group

Moderator

Mr Saurabh Aggarwal