The wearing of face coverings is still mandatory in hospitals in Belgium. However, the country’s healthcare professionals are now calling for the scrapping of what is the only COVID-19 prevention measure still in force.
Healthcare professionals call for an end to the wearing of face coverings in hospitals
Published:
The wearing of face coverings in hospitals is the last COVID-19 restriction still in force in Belgium. While it has its merits in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, the country’s healthcare professionals are now raising concerns about the lack of logic of the measure and the hindrance to communication it causes between them and their patients.
According to Margot Cloet of Zorgnet-Icuro, an umbrella organisation for health and care facilities told journalists that "If you visit your grandfather in a residential care home, you don’t have to wear a face covering, but if you go to visit an aunt in hospital you do".
As time has gone on and the measures brought in to prevent the spread of COVID-19 become further and further behind us those visiting hospital have less and less understand for the mandatory wearing of face coverings in hospital. This has made the measure become increasingly difficult to enforce.
“Measures hinders communication"
The Chief Physician at Ghent University Hospital (UZ Gent) Frank Vermassen told journalists that "The masks hinder communication between doctor and patient".
The inability to be able to fully use or see facial expressions leads to misunderstandings. Dr Vermassen believes that 3 year after the start of the first COVID-19 lockdown it is now time to ditch the rule regarding face coverings in hospitals.
This view is echoed by Jeroen van den Brandt of GP' association Domus Medica "We must not fall into mask fatigue. The measure must be used proportionally", he told the press agency Belga.
The Flemish Health and Welfare Minister Hilde Crevits (Christian democrat) says that she understands the points raised by healthcare profession. On Friday Ms Crevits says that she intends to raise the issue at the next Inter-Ministerial Public Health Conference on 22 March.
"Wearing a mask has certainly had its benefits and, in the event of high levels of virus circulation or other situations, a face covering may still be advisable. But this is a justifable request from the healthcare sector. A face covering should not make communication between the patient, visitor and doctor more difficult."
As for residential care centres and nursing homes in Flanders, "the guidelines will be fine-tuned next week in order to adapt them after the IMC's decision," Ms Crevits concluded.