Battered health systems brace for the impact of coronavirus

The people who will especially suffer will be those already neglected, due to government austerity measures, because they have fled war, or because they don’t have access to treatment for existing conditions under privatized health care. This pandemic will also disproportionately affect those who can’t stock up on food because they already can’t afford a meal every night of the week; those who are underpaid, overworked, and deprived of sick leave, or unable to work from home; and those trapped in conflict zones under bombing and siege.

And how are you supposed to treat patients without all the materials that you need? Many health systems bracing for the impact of COVID-19 have already been hammered to the breaking point by war, political mismanagement, under-resourcing, corruption, austerity, and sanctions. They are already barely able to cope with normal patient loads.

However, there are decisions that can be taken now that can ease the impending disaster that many communities may soon face. The congested camps for refugees and asylum seekers on the Greek islands need to be evacuated. That doesn’t mean sending people back to Syria, where war still rages. It means finding a way to integrate people into communities where they will be able to practice safety measures such as social distancing and self-isolation.

In addition to this, supplies must be shared across borders according to where the needs are greatest. This must start with states in Europe sharing their supplies with Italy. It will soon need to extend to other regions that will be hit by this pandemic and whose ability to cope is already compromised.

As MSF, we also need to manage the gaps we will face in staffing our other ongoing emergency projects. Our response to the  measles epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo needs to continue. So too does our response to the emergency needs of war-affected communities in Cameroon and Central African Republic. These are just some of the communities we cannot afford to let down. For them, COVID-19 is yet another assault on their survival.

This pandemic is exposing our collective vulnerability. The powerlessness felt by many of us today, the cracks in our feeling of safety, the doubts about the future. These are all the fears and concerns felt by so many in society who have been excluded, neglected, or even targeted by those in positions of power.

I hope COVID19 does more than teach us to wash our hands. I hope it makes governments understand that health care must be for all.