Doctors' Message: We have the capacity to fight the virus, don't let panic prevail

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Union of Professional Trade Unions of Doctors of Medicine and Dentistry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina addressed the public regarding the spread of coronavirus and, on behalf of its members, stated: "we have jointly stood in defense of the health and lives of all our citizens, just as we have done countless times before".

"We, your doctors, are here for all of you who need a medical examination, but we also appeal to everyone not to allow the panic that is slowly creeping into the population to lead to an excessive number of unnecessary doctor visits. This is a virus from the well-known Corona virus family, and only radical epidemiological surveillance with all necessary measures can reduce the number of infected people. Precisely this, a reduced number of infected people in the Federation, will allow us to direct all our available capacities to the most severely ill patients. Doctors in the Federation of BiH, as well as the rest of BiH, have the knowledge and experience to cope with this type of pandemic. We need time and equipment. We lack both, but at least we can contribute in time by all of us participating in radical epidemiological measures that will reduce the risk of infection to a minimum, thus gaining time," the statement reads.

They appeal to citizens to seek medical advice by phone whenever possible, to avoid unnecessary check-ups, in order to reduce queues in waiting rooms and potential contact between healthy and sick individuals, and the spread of infections.

They are here, they say, for all citizens in cases of serious conditions.

"We make a special request to all citizens with elevated body temperature and cough who have returned to BiH in the last 14 days to contact their doctor by phone or the contact numbers introduced specifically for this situation, which can be found online for each canton. If you decide to call emergency medical services, inform them about your temperature and travel outside of BiH so they can initiate the safe care procedure," the Union advises.

"Be responsible as patients, because by doing so you protect everyone else, including yourselves. In the sea of information we receive daily, it is difficult for citizens to decide which information to trust, so we particularly want to emphasize that our epidemiologists and infectologists, through crisis headquarters, provide truthful and important information for you to trust and act upon. We have educated and very high-quality staff when it comes to epidemiologists who must lead and manage this crisis, we have infectologists, microbiologists, immunologists who are fully capable of tackling the current pandemic. Finally, all doctors are available to all citizens of FBiH. All annual leave, training outside of BiH, or other activities have been suspended, and practically all doctors in FBiH are at their workplaces," the unionists state.

They ask the authorities responsible for procurement to react immediately and procure sufficient protective equipment for both healthcare workers and patients.

"First and foremost, COMPLETE protective equipment for all medical staff. The situation where the virus enters hospital healthcare facilities is the worst-case scenario. We certainly want to avoid the situation where the already decimated number of doctors is 'taken out' of action because a doctor gets infected and removed from work now when they are most needed by the citizens," the doctors appeal.

"Plan for the possibility of an epidemic in advance and secure sufficient funds for work in that case. We must not allow a lack of equipment to contribute to the spread of infection. Let's also plan in advance that in the event of an epidemic, the number of critically ill patients requiring special care will increase. Let's reorganize healthcare together in time, adapt to the current situation with equipment, staff, and space. We appeal to all media, as well as individuals, to share only verified information, because otherwise, they cause the unstoppable spread of panic among citizens," the Union says in a statement.

In the end, they say: "together, calmly and steadily, we can control the current situation and thus ensure quality and timely services for the sick, and protect the healthy from infection through prevention."