UK doctors continue to face protective equipment shortages

The doctors and healthcare workers in the United Kingdom are still working without the desired equipment to keep themselves safe from a likely transmission from a COVID-19 patient.

The British Medical Association conducted a survey of 6,000 doctors on the frontline of the battle against the disease. Half of all doctors working in high-risk areas have reported shortages in the number of gowns or simple protective gear for eyes.

Out of the 6,000 doctors surveyed, 45 per cent of them have reported that they are working without adequate protective equipment.

65 per cent of these 6,000 doctors have reported shortages in eye protection gear or no availability at all.

The Council Chair of British Medical Association in an official release said: "Two months into the COVID-19 crisis in Britain, we shouldn't still be hearing that doctors feel unprotected when they go to work."

"The government says that one billion items will soon have been shipped, and while there have been signs of improvement, our research clearly shows that equipment is not reaching all doctors working on the front line."

In an action plan titled 'COVID-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care' dated April 16, the UK Health Department has said that the country is facing shortages of the equipment.

The plan says: "To address this, the government has stepped in to support the supply and distribution to the care sector for the first time."

In its Person Protective Equipment (PPE) Action Plan dated April 10, the government said: "As an initial step, social care providers across England received an emergency drop of 7 million items of PPE so that every CQC registered care home and social care provider received at least 300 face masks to meet immediate needs. Starting in the week beginning 6th April 2020, we have authorised the release of a further 34 million items of PPE across 38 local resilience forums (LRFs), including 8 million aprons, 4 million masks and 20 million pairs of gloves."

( With inputs from ANI )