Pregnant nurses succumb to COVID-19

Source: Pregnant nurses succumb to COVID-19 – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY PRAISEMORE SITHOLE

THE Zimbabwe Nurses Association (Zina) president Enoch Dongo has appealed for pregnant nurses to be exempted from working as COVID-19 frontline workers following increased deaths of expecting nurses at health institutions.

His statement came amid reports that eight pregnant nurses at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) succumbed to COVID-19 on Monday.

Dongo said COVID-19 was causing havoc in hospitals, adding that expecting mothers should not be frontliners and should be exempted from duty at toxic places like hospitals.

“When one is pregnant, their system is somehow compromised and the worst part is they are working without enough personal protective equipment, which is putting their lives and the baby’s life at risk,” he said.

Last week, more than 100 pregnant women were quarantined in Matabeleland North after they tested positive to COVID-19.