Many hospitals report "severe attrition" in health care, some call on lightly ill workers to keep working

Read Time:7 Minute, 20 Second

The health care system is experiencing severe challenges with attrition of health care workers due to infection on one side and a surge of patients on the other.

Recently, a number of hospitals across the country have reported “serious attrition”, in addition to the initiative of administrative function staff to go to the front line of clinical, some hospitals call for asymptomatic infections in health care and mild cases to persist in their work, so that workers with heavy symptoms immediately rest and treatment, and immediately return to work after the disappearance of symptoms, there are hospitals arranged for positive asymptomatic infections to positive Some hospitals arrange for positive asymptomatic infected persons to work in positive wards.

Several hospitals also pointed out that the most severe moment may not have come yet.

The First Hospital of Jilin University said in a December 16 post that the hospital is under tremendous pressure in the short term as the epidemic rapidly develops. On the one hand, the people’s demand for medical resources is increasing under the epidemic; on the other hand, the number of infections continues to increase and attrition in various departments is serious for medical staff as the frontline of defense. The emergency and fever clinics, in particular, have been operating at high capacity for days, with many health care workers struggling to stay on the front line with minor injuries. However, it is important to realize that the real peak of medical treatment has not yet arrived.

Hebei Hengshui Fourth People’s Hospital said on Dec. 16 that the new epidemic is not over yet, and the next one to two months or even longer will be a “difficult time” for domestic medical institutions and medical staff. The challenges and tests we face have increased greatly, the impact and pressure we face have increased greatly, and the difficulties and hardships we face in prevention and control have increased greatly. Especially since the implementation of the “20 articles of epidemic prevention” and the “10 new articles of epidemic prevention”, some new changes and new situations have emerged in hospitals at all levels, including our four hospitals: a large influx of patients, including positive patients, and a great increase in the probability of infection among medical and nursing staff. The number of infected patients has increased, and the number of medical and nursing staff on duty is constantly attrited. At the same time, the hospital also has to do a good job in the construction of positive wards, the upgrading of critical care, the expansion of fever clinics and other difficult work, as well as the daily medical assistance work, but also need a large number of medical and nursing staff on duty to protect. The resulting contradictions and problems tend to be prominent.

Hengshui Fourth People’s Hospital pointed out that the special period requires special commitment and action, and the extraordinary task requires superb style and ability. In front of the urgent, difficult, dangerous and heavy tasks, Communist Party members, as the backbone and backbone of the force, the only way to go all out, the whole body into, go forward, stand in the forefront, do in the front.

The condolence letter issued by the People’s Hospital of Public Security County in Hubei on December 16 mentioned that in the fever clinic, medical and nursing staff were under great risk of infection and under great pressure of treatment; in the laboratory department, because of serious attrition, staff had to work “round the clock” to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of test results; in the clinical departments, medical and nursing staff In the clinical departments, medical and nursing staff worked overtime to eliminate the impact of attrition on patient care; on the security line, staff tried to find ways to raise drugs and supplies; comrades infected with the new coronavirus, some returned to work immediately after recovery, some returned to work as soon as possible without fully recovering, and some were not injured and stayed at their posts. …… The entire hospital staff always kept in mind the trust of “People First, Life First” and practiced the sacred oath of medical workers with practical actions.

The Emergency General Hospital in Beijing’s Chaoyang District issued an article on Dec. 18 about how the emergency department was once down by 10 people due to close quarters and isolation, and how the number of patients was several times higher than usual as neighboring hospitals were closed one after another. The nursing staff was not only under great pressure in epidemic prevention and control, but also had a dramatic increase in workload, which brought a great test to both physiology and psychology. However, all the nurses in the emergency department were united and took the initiative to work overtime and fill in for them, and they stayed at their posts without complaints, working continuously for more than ten hours a day was the norm.

At the same time, a number of hospitals have issued initiatives calling on medical and nursing staff to “not be injured in the line of fire”.

“Recently, the twenty epidemic prevention measures and the new ten articles were released, optimizing the epidemic prevention and control measures to usher in a new phase, and the dynamic China is about to return.” On December 16, the party committee and administration of Hunan Yizhang County People’s Hospital issued an initiative to all party members and cadres: the cadres and staff of the hospital should unite and help each other, and medical staff of administrative functions should be brave enough to run to the front line of clinical support. In particular, party members and cadres should give full play to their pioneering role, carry forward the spirit of love “especially able to bear hardships, especially able to fight, especially able to dedicate”, stick to the medical and nursing positions, do not fire on minor injuries, insist on working for asymptomatic infections and minor illnesses, let employees with heavy symptoms rest and treat immediately, and return to work immediately after the symptoms disappear.

The open letter of December 17 from the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Macheng, Hubei province, said that the whole society needs a process of adaptation to the sudden liberalization of the “new ten” policy. With the high prevalence of influenza in winter and the rapid and insidious spread of Omicron, the hospital must accept “positive” patients and ensure 24-hour access to febrile patients, and each clinic needs to open isolation rooms. With the increase of positive patients and the successive infection of medical staff, the medical work of our hospital is facing more challenges! At present, there are relatively more medical staff for home monitoring and the monitoring time is relatively longer, and there will be a possibility of positive medical staff every day in the future. The shortage of medical staff has led to difficulties in the normal operation of medical operations throughout the hospital.

As mentioned in the open letter, as New Year’s Day and Chinese New Year are approaching, in order to actively cope with the peak period of positive infections and to ensure the normal operation of the hospital’s medical work, the hospital advocates that the hospital’s medical staff should not be injured: positive asymptomatic infected persons should go to work in the positive ward, and those with fever symptoms should, in principle, rest for 3 days, with a maximum of 5 days recommended. It is not recommended that staff with severe symptoms go to work with illness.

Chongqing Tongnan District People’s Hospital “Initiative Letter” said, in the past few days, some departments of medical staff have been positive one after another, we express our sincere condolences to you! But we are not afraid, most of the current infections are asymptomatic or mild and will heal on their own in 5-7 days. At this time, as medical workers, we may have a headache and fever, and we may have aching limbs, but we cannot “fall down”, we dare not “fall down”, and we cannot “fall down” as a group. We should be the first to demonstrate, never lose confidence, hesitation and retreat. The more difficult the moment, the more confidence, and rise to the challenge. Because our duty is “health, life is entrusted to”, because we are always the white dress to enforce the armor, against the line, because we are destined to continue to carry the weight of people!

According to the “Initiative Letter”, we call on all Tongmians to take the lead, come forward, adhere to the people’s first and life first, do not put light injuries on the line, take the lead to return to work in time after the symptoms have improved, practice the original mission and show the power of Tongmian in actively participating in the treatment of patients!