Coronavirus in Romania: Doctors complain about lack of protection equipment, Covid-19 tests

Romanian doctors complain about the lack of protection equipment and Covid-19 tests in local hospitals and warn that the number of people infected with the new coronavirus could be higher than the one officially announced by the authorities.

A gynecologist at a hospital in Iasi wrote on Facebook about her experience performing a C-section on a patient that had been in contact with a person who had returned from Italy 18 days ago and was not tested for Covid-19 although she asked for a test. She says the doctors and nurses who performed the operation had only minimum protection equipment (surgery masks, gloves, and the sterile gown) and that they didn’t have a Covid-19 test kit to test the patient.

Here is her post:

“I am on duty today with some colleagues! I am informed that a pregnant woman will arrive in the hospital, with a triggered birth and that she got in touch (visit) a week ago with a relative of hers, who arrived from Veneto 18 days ago! I'm gone! The indication is to complete the birth through Caesarean section! The agitation begins! Where do we see her? ... We blocked an examination office for her, a cabinet in which the disinfection was later performed! Do we have protective equipment? ... No, we don’t!!! Do we have tests for harvesting and sending to infectious diseases? ... No, we don’t!!! But, what do we have? Doctors and nurses who have to enter the room and possibly become infected? ... yes, that's what we have! 🤬 Only with 2 rows of masks, 2 rows of gloves and the sterile dressing gown! God have mercy! It's not normal for this to happen! It is not normal to NOT have protective equipment! It is not normal to put a whole hospital at risk! In these conditions of practicing medicine in pandemic conditions, Romania will surpass other European states for the number of cases! Why do we (still) have few cases? ... because people are NOT tested! It is a false truth exposed to the public! Romanian state, you are required to purchase tests, disinfectants and protective materials! Health is guaranteed by the Constitution! How was it guaranteed to us, to those on duty today? And the duty continues.....”

The situation is similar in many hospitals in Romania, where the doctors, who are expected to treat people, are the most exposed to the Covid-19 infection due to lack of equipment.

Here’s what a pulmonologist at the Marius Nasta Hospital in Bucharest says when asked about a Digi24 reporter about the protection equipment available in the hospital:

“We, our skin, a sufficient natural barrier, our nasal and oral mucosa, a sufficient barrier, the hospital clothes, over which a clothespin can be placed.”