Health-care workers voice concerns about safety amid COVID-19 outbreak

Four unions representing health-care workers in Newfoundland and Labrador issued a joint statement Wednesday, calling for better safety measures in their workplaces.

Among their biggest concerns are the supply of personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves, as well as training and support.

"Our health-care system is already running over capacity," the letter reads."We cannot afford for health-care workers to get sick and erode staffing levels any further."

The four unions the Registered Nurses' Union, the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, and the Association of Allied Health Professionals are calling for a "meaningful discussion" with government and health authorities about health and safety and personal protective equipment.

Speaking Tuesday morning, Health Minister John Haggie said concerns about personal protective equipment are stretching nationwide.

He said health authorities feel they have enough to handle the situation right now, but have concerns about how sustainable the supply will be.

There is also one major complicating factor.

"Unfortunately the global centre for PPE manufacturing is not just China, it's actually Hubei Province and Wuhan," Haggie said.

Wuhan was the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, which started in December. The city of 11 million is now on the upswing, with confirmed cases dropping rapidly.

More than 200,000 people have been infected worldwide. There are currently three presumptive cases in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, nurses' union president Debbie Forward said she has concerns about how plans are being communicated to them.

Forward said she wanted to speak with health officials about a plan for child care before the decision was made to close schools, but couldn't get a meeting until afterwards.

"And now one of the biggest concerns for our members is what are they going to do with their children? They don't have anybody to look after them and we don't have any answers for them."

Forward said one of the lessons from SARS was that all front-line staff need fit-tested respirators to avoid passing the virus from patient to nurse to patient.

She said she doesn't know what the plans are for equipping her members.

Virtual care

Dr. Nicole Stockley,a family physician at the Summerhill Medical Clinic in Conception Bay South, saysshe's seeing fewer patients who want come to her clinic, but for those who do, the clinic is asking patients if they've travelled and if they're displaying symptoms related to COVID-19. They're alsotrying to space out appointments and keep appointments short, to keep a consistent flow through the doors to preventa backlog of peoplebeing kept in the waiting area.

"I think that's wise. The less number of people we have congregating in one place at any time is a good thing," Stockley said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association has been speaking with the province about virtual care.Stockley said conducting appointmentsby phone or video would help keep down the number of people moving through a clinic, but noted it won't be possible for everyone.

"Not everything can be done virtually. There are many times that we do need to see a patient, whether that be to do a physical exam or to have a conversation face-to-face," she said.

"While not everything can be moved virtually it would, I think, free up some of the space in our clinics and, of course,just overall decrease the sheer number of people that we have coming into the clinic at any one time."

Giving blood

Meanwhile, Canadian Blood Services is reminding the public it's still OK to donate blood right now, butit's bestto call ahead and book an appointment instead of just showing up.

Peter MacDonald,the director of donor relations, said blood clinics have heavycleaning and infection controls in place.

However, MacDonaldsaidCanadian Blood Services hasseen a decline in blood donorsacross the country as of late, buta public appeal on Monday is helping.

"We started to see a response from that but we're not where we needed to be yet," MacDonald said.

"Our inventory is in a good position starting the week, our concern is that if this drop in attendance would continue, it would get precarious pretty quickly."

MacDonaldaddedthere will be a short health questionnaire for potential donarsto make sure they are suitable to donate blood during this time.

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