How Healthcare Workers Are Fighting To Hold The Line

About one in five Americans in major cities has been reported to be unable to get medical care during the pandemic, according to a poll by NPR. These circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have particularly affected the disability community with access to proper medical care. People with disabilities have special needs that must be routinely met. However, due to the rise in unemployment, unavailable personnel, and temporarily closed healthcare facilities, these are just some of the common reasons why access to medical care is limited while workers try to hold the line.

Healthcare On Hold

Individuals with disabilities are more than likely enrolled or participate in certain health programs that guide them through living with their condition. Programs such as speech therapy help with articulation disorders, while physical therapy teaches them proper posture and gait. These programs are all essential in the treatment plan that a physician has instructed for a particular patient. In fact, the crushing effects of isolation have been hard to bear for many, if not most of the disabled community.

Access To Disability Health Services

Due to the current global pandemic, many of these services are currently restricted, leaving the patient and their families at home struggling to maintain their development. This leads to loss of progression and muscle and memory development that is crucially important in the long term care. As a result, closing all healthcare programs also affects the availability of professional medical care for routine check-ups or serious treatments like cerebral palsy surgery, which plays a critical role in improving life quality for children in particular.

Unemployment Due To COVID

The pandemic has affected the global economy for more than half a year, causing many healthcare employers and hospitals to relieve their normal staff. This has caused an unemployment surge that has not been seen in modern times, leaving hospitals and health facilities with limited employees to cover their patients’ medical care. Furthermore, individuals who receive such services are also left vulnerable, as their usual care has been shortened or interrupted. This is especially difficult for families that depend on routine therapy or a professional intervention to help guide them through their disabilities.

Future Of Healthcare

There is concern that when the pandemic ends, a large number of health facilities may be forced to close down due to the effects of the economic recession. This would leave unemployed health workers to feel obligated to find other means to provide for their families and loved ones. And with the health care workers that remain, they may increasingly feel undervalued, despite the countless risks they encounter every day. In fact, a recent study of US physicians found that 46% of respondents showed at least one symptom of burnout since the start of the pandemic.

Frontlines may be forced to choose between their careers to provide the best health care to those in need or put their health and families first. After all, adequate healthcare starts with the provider being completely healthy, both physically and mentally, so they can provide high-quality care to their patients with disabilities.