Better protection needed for health care workers
As health science professionals and other health care workers continue to experience crushing workloads caused by long-standing shortages, which continue to be exacerbated by health care staff absences because of the accelerated spread of Covid-19 at health care worksites, HSA is calling on the Ministry of Health to ensure enhanced precautions are put in place.
In addition, the union rejects suggestions that health care workers may be expected to report to work even if they have symptoms of COVID-19.
Many experts around the world, including the World Health Organization, accept that the virus is spread by aerosol transmission, and that the best form of protection for health care workers is N95 respirators, or higher-rated protective masks that restrict aerosol transmission.
In a letter to the Ministry of Health, HSA called today on health care employers to take necessary precautionary measures.
“It is our position that N95 respirators (or equivalent of higher protection) should be used by health care workers providing direct care to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in all hospital and community health care settings,” says the letter.
You can read the full text of the letter here.