However, over the past six months Temesgen’s role has changed significantly as – like healthcare professionals across the globe – he has had to adapt to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic:
“Currently, I am mostly engaged with coronavirus outbreak response activities. Hand in hand with that, we are also trying to continue providing primary eye care services for walk-in patients - and we will carry on providing the service until there is a shortage of PPE,” he tells us.
Temesgen explains that, just like here in Canada, the pandemic changed life in Ethiopia dramatically. Schools closed, transport is restricted and gatherings were prohibited: “For this [reason], we are not conducting any outreach programmes. Nowadays, patient flow to the health facility is poor. Unless it’s an emergency, we don’t have many sight related cases. However, we still manage any case in need through routine activities.
There is a shortage of PPE, so we haven’t carried out activities like Trachoma Trichiasis (TT) surgery after the last TT outreach ended on March 28, 2020… At the same time, we are also being careful to avoid coronavirus transmission by avoiding crowding within health facilities.”
Temesgen and his colleagues have responded proactively to the pandemic, he tells us. “In this health centre, we have established case assessment and a case management team to handle the pandemic. Health Extension Workers and Health Development Armies have been assessing 20 households per day and reporting daily. There is nationally developed protocol regarding the outbreak. As per the protocol, the team checks on fever and asks for travel history during their household visits.”
