WHO has acknowledged that the hard work and selfless service provided by India’s health workers, including nurses and midwives, have no doubt contributed to the country’s impressive recovery rate of 31.15 per cent.
In a series of profiles, nurses described their challenges in keeping their charges and themselves safe on a COVID-19 repatriation flight, in hospitals and ICUs, providing antenatal care, elderly care and psychosocial support in the context of COVID-19, and, for one nurse, of being quarantined for two weeks after caring for patients who tested positive for the virus. Nurses are being trained to deal with COVID-19 patients, ensure that protocols are followed, use PPE properly and practice hand hygiene, among other things.
Nurses are important in managing a health crisis because they are a vital link between the patient and the rest of the health care team. COVID-19 has brought into sharp focus the need for every nation to invest in nurses and midwives as part of their commitment to achieve universal health coverage.
India’s Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in April said he valued the guidance and contributions made by the WHO in containing the spread of COVID-19 across the country.
Globally, WHO provides ongoing technical guidance and guidelines on COVID-19 for health professionals in several areas, such as infection prevention and control, case management, risk communication and management, and more specific topics like pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding during COVID-19.
Read the full story: Caring for COVID-19 patients: Nurses across the country share their journey