The opinions expressed by correspondents in this column are not endorsed by the editors or The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Self-care of medical staff in primary care and COVID-19: A personal view from Thailand
We found the article ‘Self-care of medical staff in primary care: An issue that needs attention during the COVID-19 outbreak’ (AJGP 2020;49 Suppl 11) very interesting.1 Xu noted that ‘self-care is essential for primary care professionals who are at risk of COVID-19’.1 In fact, medical personnel are at risk of contracting COVID-19 during occupational work. The practitioner’s level of knowledge is one factor that affects their risk of COVID-19. In our experience, some medical personnel in a rural area of Thailand had limited knowledge of COVID-19;2 therefore, inappropriate self-care during the COVID-19 outbreak is possible. In addition, there are many external factors that can affect the health of medical staff in primary care during a disease outbreak. Lack of facilities is a common problem worldwide. Furthermore, the protection of staff from risk in primary care is an important issue. We should prioritise the safety of personnel rather than less important issues – such as promoting patient satisfaction, or paperwork to fulfil the hospital accreditation guidelines – without concern for the necessary adjustment to the difficult situation during the COVID-19 outbreak. In conclusion, both self-care awareness of medical staff in primary care and support for necessary facilities are important for containment of the present COVID-19 outbreak.
Sora Yasri
Senior Medical Scientist
and Private Consultant,
KMT Primary Care Center,
Bangkok, Thailand
Viroj Wiwanitkit
Honorary Professor,
Dr DY Patil University,
Pune, India