Frontline workers are under attack

THE EDITOR, Madam:

What was the Government’s rationale to prioritise parliamentarians, members of the security forces, the elderly, frontline healthcare workers and later educators to be first recipients of the COVID-19 vaccines during the initial phases of vaccination?

In the initial phases there were just over 100,000 doses of vaccine for our population of 2.7 million. Was this decision due to elitism, favouritism, preferential or special treatment of a select minority when all are vulnerable to COVID-19? Or was it strategic and prudent allocation of scarce resources after careful consideration of the means of transmission, risk factors, exposure, vulnerability and the social significance of the designated groups in the national efforts to contain viral spread and combat COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic is correctly compared to a war against invisible invaders. During wars, whether a state is governed by a monarchy, democracy or dictatorship, the allocation of scarce resources, like food and medicine, has traditionally been, or at least in most instances, prioritised and allocated first and foremost to those who are deemed most important in society: the rulers or leaders and their families (parliamentarians in the modern era), followed by combatants or soldiers on the frontline defending the nation, then the general population.

The prioritisation for frontline combatants defending a nation, especially during real scarcity, to receive food or medical treatment when injured would never appear to any rational mind as unjustified because it is pure pragmatism. This tradition or standard practice is less about the frontline combatants and more about the survival of the nation. If the frontline defenders fail and fall then all will follow!

MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION

I was, therefore, appalled at the Government’s pronouncement that there would be no preferential access to treatment for frontline healthcare workers.

Our frontline healthcare workers are under attack defending the nation and putting their lives at risk because they are overexposed and overworked under severely stressful situations. Stress and fatigue definitely reduce resistance to all forms of infections, including COVID-19, facilitate collisions and ill-health and many medics have now developed medical disorders or worsening of existing ones.

This issue has legal, ethical and moral perspectives. But the Government and people of Jamaica need to carefully consider whether it is in our best collective interest to deny special consideration or preferential access to treatment for frontline healthcare workers defending the nation. Many more will suffer and many more will definitely die; but the right decisions will save countless lives.

DAIVE FACEY