Shoshy Goldberg, Government Chief Nursing Officer (GCNO), from the Israeli Ministry of Health is tasked with overseeing all health-care professionals during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
“This involves much planning, the ability to foresee the needs that will arise and setting up what is required to meet those challenges. My team and I work tirelessly to ensure that should the situation worsen, we are prepared for the worst-case scenarios,” she said.
She says, despite the danger and risks of exposure, no-one is refusing to work; to the contrary, she and her team have received more than 12 000 applications from student volunteers, who want to be part of the efforts.
“To limit the possibility of infection, we are making use of innovative measures, such as the use of technological devices which allow nurses to monitor a patient’s condition remotely. Without having to enter patients’ rooms, nurses can measure their temperature and other vital signs.”
Globally, WHO provides ongoing technical guidance and guidelines on COVID-19 for health professionals in several areas, such as infection prevention and control, case management, risk communication and management, and more specific topics like pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding during COVID-19.