Dr. Pengsy Sengmany is a paediatrician who has been working at Luang Namtha Provincial Hospital for more than 10 years. When the province confirmed its first COVID-19 case on 22 January 2021, Dr. Sengmany was assigned to the medical team responsible for the care of the patient.
“When the word COVID-19 is mentioned, everyone is scared,” said Dr. Sengmany. However, she remembered the clinical management and infection prevention and control (IPC) training she received from WHO, funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID). With the medical team and support from central hospitals, she felt more confident to provide care.
In Lao PDR, healthcare workers and frontliners who work tirelessly on COVID-19 response are referred to as “warriors in white gowns.” Their selflessness, hard work and dedication have been acknowledged and praised by the public. Recovered patients have also expressed their gratitude towards healthcare workers upon discharge from hospital.
Despite this, these “warriors” can themselves sometimes be stigmatized, even by family members and friends. I was asked by my relatives and friends why could I leave the hospital since my work deals directly with a COVID-19 patient. They feel that since healthcare workers come into close contact with a COVID-19 patient, we should not go outside and need to be quarantined as well.
“But after I explained the process and how we safely cared for the patient based on our training from WHO, my relatives and friends were relieved. Previously, they did not even want me to go inside their house” she said. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded all of us of the heroic work that health workers do every single day. However, it has also unveiled the huge challenges and risks they faced including healthcare associated infections, violence, stigma, psychological and emotional disturbances from their family members and friends.
Fear, rumours, misinformation, lack of information and safety concerns are the underlying causes of discrimination and stigma, and so providing clear, accurate and accessible information using trusted sources is key to tackling it.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) with the support of WHO, funded by USAID has worked together to monitor and respond to rumours, particularly on social media, provided regular updates through the social media pages of the Centre of Communication and Education for Health, and promoted those pages as the best source of information for the community to rely on.
But providing good public information is not only about addressing the important issue of stigma and discrimination. It is also at the heart of effective national responses to COVID-19. Dr. Sengmany said “We urge people to keep protecting themselves, their families and their communities by washing hands frequently, keeping a safe distance from others, wearing masks and avoiding places with a high risk of transmission (like crowds, close-contact settings and confined spaces).
“Solidarity, support and empathy will help us get through this pandemic together.”