By Vanessa Leonett.
Venezuelan doctors are fighting a tough battle against COVID-19, and not everyone is coming out a winner. Every day more deaths are added to the figures kept by the Venezuelan Medical Federation (FMV) and the media records. Only during the first fortnight of September, El Pitazo reported a total of 14 Venezuelan doctors dead from the virus.
In the six months of the pandemic (declared in Venezuela in mid-March), there have been 163 dead doctors, nurses, and other health care personnel, almost a third of all 485 COVID-19 deaths, so far.
You must read Amid COVID-19 spike, doctors still lacking gloves and face masks
The president of the FVM, Douglas Leon Natera, during a ceremony in homage doctors dead to COVID-19, stated that 156 doctors had died because of the incurable virus.
The FMV claims that the country leads the number of health workers killed by COVID-19 in America. Although this summary includes only physicians, other professionals in this area also lost the battle against the virus, including members of the nursing staff.
The medical association warned in March that 95% of its members do not have the proper bio-safety equipment to care for patients and protect themselves from the virus. On September 10, Dr. Leon Natera assured this has not changed at present.
At the end of the first half of September, the situation of vulnerability of the doctors continues to claim victims. During these 15 days, El Pitazo reported the death of 14 medical professionals, a conservative estimate based mostly on figures from the Maduro regime, the FMV, and other reliable sources.
