Doctors avoid treating Congo virus patients – Daily Times
Doctors avoid treating Congo virus patients
* NIH confirms no Congo case in two months
ISLAMABAD: Several patients visiting hospitals with symptoms similar to congo virus are facing severe problems as medical practitioners are avoiding to provide them treatment due to fear of contracting disease virus.
Attendants of such patients have complained that instead of waiting for reports of blood samples of the suspected patients, doctors leave such patients at the mercy of Allah, running against their professional ethics.
They said when a patient with symptoms like dripping of blood from nose, mouth and in urine visits a hospital, doctors immediately consider him or her as congo patient.
They appealed to the authorities concerned to take notice of this matter and issue directives to the doctors working in public hospitals to stop this unethical practice.
National Institute of Health (NIH) has not declared any test of deadly Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) virus positive over the last two months.
“Some deaths were reported in hospitals due to refusal of doctors to treat suspected patients with congo virus symptoms,” said a senior official at Epidemic Investigation Cell, NIH.
He added it is not necessary that any patient with dripping of blood could be affected from congo virus, adding doctors were well aware of taking measures to protect them from this virus.
He said, “Doctors should wait for test reports. If a patient confirmed with CCHF is admitted to hospital, there is a risk of nosocomial spread of infection and it is imperative that adequate infection control measures should be taken to prevent this disastrous outcome.”
He said patients with suspected or confirmed CCHF should be isolated and cared for using barrier-nursing techniques. He said specimens of blood or tissues taken for diagnostic purposes should be collected and handled as per universal precautions.
According to health experts, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is a tick-borne virus in the family Bunyaviridae, genus Nairovirus. The virus is transmitted to humans through infected tick bites or from direct contact with viremic animals or humans.
They said symptoms of congo virus at initial stage are temperature, acute pain in patient’s belly and the dripping of blood from nose, mouth and in urine.
They said persons living in endemic areas should use personal protective measures that include avoidance of areas where tick vectors are abundant and when they are active, regular examination of clothing and skin for ticks, and their removal and use of repellents.
They added persons who work with livestock or other animals in the endemic areas can take practical measures to protect themselves including use of repellents on the skin and clothing and wearing gloves or other protective clothing to prevent skin contact with infected tissue or blood.
They said sharps like needles and other penetrating surgical instruments and body wastes should be safely disposed of using appropriate decontamination procedures.
They said healthcare workers who have had contact with tissue or blood from patients with suspected or confirmed CCHF should be followed up with daily temperature and symptom monitoring for at least 14 days after the putative exposure. app
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