AfricaPress-Tanzania: CHIEF Medical Officer (CMO) Prof Abel Makubi has ordered all hospitals’ clinical audit units to investigate all deaths that are caused by Covid-19 to determine if the patient was well attended before his or her death.
Prof Abel Makubi said yesterday at Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) that the government is saddened by the deaths that are caused by the novel virus and that there is a need to investigate if all procedures are followed in receiving and attending patients.
BMC is the tertiary referral hospital of the Lake Victoria Zone and Western regions, serving a population of around 13 million people.
He ordered all hospitals to make a close follow up on deaths especially those that are related to Covid-19 so that there would be no negligence involved.
“We don’t like to see people dying; I am ordering all hospitals that have clinical audit units to investigate all deaths that are related to or are caused by Covid-19, This will help us to understand if there was a problem in receiving the patients or giving him or her health services,” he remarked.
The CMO stressed hat the public must understand that not all deaths are caused by the novel virus since there were many other killer diseases.
“We must stand together in this battle against the novel virus, but we need to understand that we are also hit by other killer diseases,” he said. Prof Makubi said it was wrong to connect deaths of people who suffered from blood pressure, diabetes, kidney or cancer to coronavirus.
He said health experts must continue to offer professional services to all patients so as to avoid more deaths. He added: “Our hospitals and health service providers must receive all patients, regardless that some have symptoms of Covid-19, we should receive them all, but precautions and use of protective gears is necessary.”
The CMO added that the government was continuing to distribute PPE to various hospitals and health centres across the country so that health officials could participate in the war against Covid-19.
Last Sunday, President John Magufuli asked the public to remain calm as the government continues to take necessary measures in fighting the spread of the deadly virus.
However, he warned on the spread of rumours that each death that occurs was caused by Covid-19. He said there are many causes of deaths and that it was wrong to relate each death to Covid-19.
“We must avoid causing fear and threats to people, instead we must stand together in this war, people die from different reasons such as road accidents, cancer, diabetes and other causes; not only Covid-19,” he explained.
