Front line nurses face abuse as fear of virus grows

Nurses  and medical staff on the front line in the fight in the fight against coronavirus have been refused access to buses. and abused  in supermarkets when wearing uniform report health authorities

Enrique Lau Cortés, director of the Social Security Fund (CSS), pointed out that there are 4,718 doctors and 3,440 nurses in the entity he directs, who have been providing care throughout the country, despite the complications generated by the coronavirus.

Lau Cortés stressed that the CSS medical and nursing staff can change in hospitals so that they can go home without problems. “It is regrettable to resort to this, but we have to protect our personnel,” Lau Cortés concluded.

 The president of the National Association of Panama Nurses (Anep), Ana María Reyes de Serrano, denounced that they are being attacked due to the fear of the contagion of the coronavirus.

“Unfortunately, we are receiving reports from colleagues who say they fear that the population we are caring for are assaulting them, due to the fear that many have of contracting the virus.

“ Some have been taken off the buses, others have not even been allowed to stand in line at supermarkets. Like all human beings, we have to stock up and buy food, “said Reyes.

Domingo Moreno, the coordinator of the National Negotiating Medical Commission, said that the Health personnel are behaving like “soldiers” and  the circumstances in which we find ourselves demand it.