Covid crisis in medical fields

Since the beginning of the outbreak, health care providers have been shown more support,
solidarity and gratitude than they ever have. Yet, attacks on health care have continuously been
reported and now also include incidents linked to the COVID-19 pandemic across the world. This
unprecedented public health emergency has demonstrated that health facilities, medical
transport, patients as well as health care workers and their families can- and do become targets
everywhere. This alarming trend reinforces the need for improved measures to protect health
care from acts of violence. During the COVID-19 pandemic more than ever, protecting the health
and lives of health care providers on the frontline is critical to enabling a better global response.

This page provides information about the essence of COVID-19-related attacks, their impact
on the response, the role of stigma in driving them and, finally, a brief overview of actions taken
to minimize their impact. Ensuring access to health services is the cornerstone of a successful
health response. Any verbal or physical act of violence, obstruction or threat that interferes with
the availability, access and delivery of such services is defined as attack on health care by the
World Health Organization (WHO). The nature of attacks on health care related to COVID-19
varies greatly across contexts and can range from the use of heavy weapons targeting health
facilities to the stigmatization of health care workers. Ultimately – whether they take the form of
a cyber attack or a physical assault – they deprive people of urgently needed care, endanger
health care providers, and undermine health systems. 

During the pandemic, the international community, governments and civil society have
taken the first steps to protect health systems by addressing attacks on health care as well as
their roots. To stop attacks on vital infrastructure such as health facilities and water and
sanitation systems, the international community has called for ceasefires in conflict-affected
areas. Some national and local governments introduced new policies to protect health care,
including in India where perpetrators are punishable with prison terms up to 7 years. In Mexico,
some cities have implemented dedicated transport services for health care workers after many
were refused entry on public buses. 

Doctors’ associations across the world have also initiated talks with authorities to make
their work environment safe from infections and to better protect health care providers outside
the hospital. Through its Health Care in Danger initiative, the International Committee of the Red
Cross published a checklist for a safer COVID-19 response addressed to managers of health-care
services, individual practitioners and health policymakers. WHO and partners are also conducting
communication and outreach campaigns at country-level to support governments in addressing
attacks on health care. 

WHO, governments and the international community have also taken measures to address
stigma around COVID-19. In addition to regular social media campaigns, the Government of the
United Kingdom and WHO launched the collaborative campaign ‘Stop the Spread’ to raise
awareness about the dangers of misinformation across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and
Latin America. WHO has also made available a COVID-19 risk communication package for
healthcare facilities, as well as dedicated risk communication and community engagement
(RCCE) guidance for countries, and a guide for governments, the media and local organization
to prevent and address social stigma. WHO continues to collect information and data to improve
our understanding of COVID-19 related attacks, inform its network of partners and document
good practices. 

Source:

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/04/23/483828/coronavirus-
crisis-confirms-u-s-health-care-system-fails-women/

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/13/health/us-coronavirus-saturday/index.html