Zimbabwe Nurses Desert Suspected Covid-19 Body

In Zimbabwe – Health workers at Chiredzi Hospital are reported to have abandoned the body of a 30-year-old woman who is suspected to have died from the deadly coronavirus out of fear that they might contract the respiratory disease, reports revealed.

The woman (name supplied) died on Tuesday night after suffering from respiratory problems. Unfortunately, she passed on before Covid-19 tests could be carried out on her.

According to a source at the hospital who spoke to the publication on condition of anonymity, the woman’s body was still on the bed where she died because the health workers were afraid to handle the corpse.

‘No one wants to touch the body. Everyone is extremely afraid and it is unusual for a body to remain on a ward bed for more than an hour. This is 9am and the body is still in there as I speak to you,’ said the source.

This comes at a time when healthcare professionals have been clamouring for government’s assistance in providing protective clothing and the necessary equipment to battle the coronavirus which has already claimed 3 lives,  reports from the Ministry of Health and Child Care have confirmed. At least 11 people are reported to have tested positive for Covid-19.

Hospital Superintendent Dr David Tarumbwa confirmed the case. He, however, said he was still to trace the medical history of the patient with the private surgery where she went before she came to the hospital.

A nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity said there are many problems at the hospital and chief among them is that there are no protective clothing and health workers are afraid of getting infected. The other problem is that there is virtually no training for staff at the hospital on how to handle Corona Virus cases.

The District Medical Officer Dr Brian Dhladhlara also confirmed the case