Doctors Finally Admit, Public Was Right: 'Rational' Testing Approach is Disastrous!

A. Čorbo-Zećo

The Medical Chamber of FBiH has finally spoken out and said what the public has been speculating and feeling for a long time. The logic of not testing exceeds the limits of reason. The Medical Chamber has openly spoken out against the Minister of Health Vjekoslav Mandić and the current practice.

"The story of the federal minister Mandić and his assistant Čerkez about 'rational' testing is also unacceptable. It is contrary to the guidelines and recommendations of the WHO. The practice of other European Union countries is precisely that, to test much more broadly and much more, and to prioritize testing healthcare workers who are most exposed to risk. Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently at the very bottom of the European Union in terms of the number of citizens tested per million inhabitants," the chamber states.

Thank them for their honesty, because first and foremost, doctors should also be tested, because how will we know who is spreading the infection. A clear example of what testing means is reflected in the case of the president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Federation of BiH, Mirsad Jašarspahić, who confirmed that he is positive for coronavirus, but that they did not want to test him earlier. His quarantine was about to expire. What if he hadn't insisted on testing, does that mean he would have continued to spread the virus?

This case is one in a series of omissions. Already last week, they knew that the director of Igman was at the Chamber of Commerce, and then they should have isolated Jašarspahić and others, tested them, and given recommendations to others. Jašarspahić had a press conference on March 13.

World epidemiologists emphasize that the period of highest infectivity is not fully known to us, but if we compare it to other similar viruses, it is the end of the incubation period and the beginning of the appearance of the first symptoms.

Responsible authorities, immediately after the spread of the virus in BiH, stated that only a competent health institution can perform testing, and that is the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, which confirms all tests performed in FBiH, while in RS it is the University Clinical Center of RS.

Testing is almost twice as frequent in RS, Minister Alen Šeranić says it will be even more massive. Why this is not the case in the Federation, no one knows. It is sad that we get a test when the person is dead! Who needs a test then!
Responsible authorities (most often politicians) talk about an argument that testing is only performed on individuals who show a pronounced epidemiological picture, i.e., if they show certain symptoms and if, in addition, they came from one of the most affected countries infected with coronavirus or were in contact with an infected person. The case of the deceased woman from Ilidža shows that their doctrine is flawed.

Ultimately, world experts first place individuals with pronounced symptoms in CT scans and image their lungs to see how affected they are. The key is to test a seemingly healthy person. Unfortunately, we are losing lives and some will not live to see who is right. It is clear that expertise must be respected, but the public's fear and apprehension are more than justified.

Mandatory testing must also be introduced for all healthcare workers who come into contact with patients in any way, so that they do not become a source of infection for patients with whom they come into contact. (In Italy, 24 doctors died during this pandemic, and in Spain, 12% of healthcare workers are infected with COVID-19. Such facts collapse the health system, because those who should fight against it become generators of infection).