41% health workers suffer verbal, physical abuse while battling COVID-19

Research has stated that 41 percent of Pakistani health workers suffered verbal and physical abuse while battling the coronavirus epidemic.

The research was conducted by the APPNA Institute of Public Health (APIH) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) at Sindh Medical University in Karachi. As per the report, the research involved doctors, nurses, medical assistants, lab technicians, and emergency workers, as well as ambulance drivers and emergency response teams.

Dr. Mirwais Khan, head of the ICRC’s Project Health Care in Danger (HCiD) said, “Trust between patients and health workers in Pakistan is eroding.” The study found that 41.9 percent of participants experienced violence while dealing with coronavirus.

Around six percent reported physical assault. The study found that violence included defamation, including verbal and physical attacks, and disengagement from patients and their families.