LOCAL doctors and nurses are calling on health officials to implement the “necessary protocols” to better protect healthcare workers at Princess Margaret Hospital amid safety concerns about the COVID-19 threat. Their calls for more safety measures comes as the country continues to experience a surge of COVID-19 cases, with the total currently standing at 679.

“This morning, we are at a tipping point where our staff members have become compromised because of the overwhelming number of patients with suspected COVID symptoms presenting to A&E,” head of the Bahamas Doctors Union, Dr Melisandre Bassett told reporters Tuesday morning outside PMH.

“...We’re still here, we’re not leaving our jobs and this is not a walk out. This is not a sick out. We want to help the Bahamian people, but we have to do it safely and sensibly."We’re waiting for this situation to be rectified and until that happens you can’t ask anyone to put themselves in harm’s way without the necessary protocol and safety measure in place. That’s all we’re asking,” she said.

When contacted, an official at the Public Hospitals Authority said a statement would be released on the concerns.