Coronavirus – Embattled Wuhan doctors ‘working non-stop’ are beaten up and threatened by panicking patients
OVERWHELMED doctors working in the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus in China are being beaten by patients, it has been reported.
The medical staff in Wuhan are working nonstop to treat panicked patients as they are at a breaking point in tackling the virus.
One doctor at a Wuhan hospital said he hasn’t gone home in two weeks and that patients had made threats while growing anxious waiting to be seen.
He said during a recent midnight shift that 150 patients lined up at the outpatient clinic.
The doctor told the South China Morning Post: “All patients are anxious. Some became desperate after waiting for hours in the cold.
“I heard one in the queue say he had waited for so long that he wanted to stab us. I am worried.
“Killing a few of us will not reduce the queue, right?”
His fears comes as two doctors at Wuhan Fourth Hospital were beaten up by a family member of a patient and one had their protective suit ripped off in the infected zone, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
The doctor, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “Emotions are running high as the hospital has been running at maximum capacity since early January. Many cannot find a bed. But what can we do?
“Doctors and nurses are working non-stop, even the midnight shift is totally full. We are surrounded by patients coughing next to us all night long.”
The coronavirus has killed 259 and there are more than 11,000 cases confirmed globally.
Wuhan, a city of 11million people in the Hubei province, has been on quarantine for more than a week after it was reported the outbreak started at a meat market in December.
On Friday, the number of people infected surpassed the total number of reported infections during the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003.
The World Health Organization declared the killer outbreak in China a global public emergency.
Chinese authorities built their first makeshift hospital dedicated coronavirus patients in just two days.
The Chinese military was sent in to Wuhan to assist doctors, but medical staff have reached a breaking point as patients are stilling queuing for treatment.
The doctor added that the extra staff have only been able to give doctors “one or two more hours’ sleep”.
Yesterday, a disturbing photo of a cyclist casually riding past the body of a pensioner who dropped dead in Wuhan emerged.
Although it’s not known if the grey-haired man died of the killer bug, it is clear from these pictures the authorities were taking no chances.
After being inspected the body was eventually zipped into a medical bag and carried into a van before the street was thoroughly disinfected.
Earlier this week, distressing video and images reportedly from inside hospital in Wuhan showed how dire the situation is becoming.
One video that emerged showed medical staff breaking down screaming and crying after trying to battle the killer coronavirus without sleep.
Other videos reportedly filmed by medical staff in Wuhan have circulated online showing the dire conditions inside the “ground zero” hospitals.
Overworked staff at Wuhan hospitals have made desperate pleas online for more medical supplies and claimed tens of thousands are infected.
MOST READ IN WORLD NEWS
One nurse said: “At this moment, Hubei province, including Wuhan area, even China, 90,000 people have been infected by coronavirus.”
One unverified video reportedly filmed by a nurse in a Wuhan hospital appears to show overcrowded hallways and staff in fully-protective body suits allegedly stepping over three dead bodies.
Overworked medical staff are also wearing diapers because they don’t have time to use the toilet and others do so because they fear ripping off their hazmat suits when supplies are already so low, the Washington Post reported.