Health workers in Covid-19 hotspot exhausted in heat wave

The intense heat in northern Vietnam in the past few days has made the job of Vietnamese health workers in hospitals and quarantine sites more difficult.

Several doctors and nurses fainted because they had to work in tight protective suits in temperatures that sometimes reached nearly 40 degrees Celsius.

On May 26, a health worker from Hai Duong province, who voluntarily went to Bac Giang province, a Covid hotspot, fainted due to exhaustion while taking samples for Covid-19 tests from people in Nui Hieu hamlet, Quang Chau commune, Viet Yen district. After being resuscitated by a colleague, and his protective clothing taken off, the health worker regained consciousness.

The weather in Bac Giang has been harsh in the last few days. The temperature has sometimes reached nearly 40 degrees Celsius. Working for a long time in tight protective suits, health workers can lose water and have breathing problems.

In Que Vo district, Bac Ninh province, another Covid-19 epicenter, some health workers fainted while taking samples for Covid-19 tests from local people on May 22. The local health force set the goal to take 28,000 samples a day. Bac Ninh's medical workers had an overloaded day in the 37-38 degrees heat.

A few days ago, three nurses fainted while on duty in Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province.

Many medical staff are exhausted and dehydrated but do not dare take off their protective suits because the specialized suit is very expensive and can be used only once.