(CMR) From Tegucigalpa to Playa Brava, Honduras has been plunged into further devastation, as the country continues to grapple with the deadly coronavirus. To date, the country has over 627 confirmed coronavirus cases and 59 deaths.
However, the situation is particularly dire as the health care system buckles under the weight of the challenges posed by the deadly virus.
Reports coming out of Honduras, which include a shortage of basic medical equipment and apparatus, widespread unemployment coupled with the growing problem of homelessness, forecasts further devastation, for a country already battling corruption.
San Pedro Sula, primarily known as the site of numerous US factories, is also the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
A doctor from the area told the international press that the disease keeps spreading, with the number of gravely ill patients increasing rapidly adding that the country's health care system was not equipped to deal with a crisis of this magnitude.
The doctor noted there is not enough adequate personal protective equipment for all health care workers, stating that as a result doctors and nurses are increasingly becoming infected with COVID-19.
The doctor noted that the protests in early March by hospital workers were not as effective as conditions inside the nation's medical facilities continue to be ignored.
“We barely have conventional masks–not the N95’s that would be more adequate–or non-sterile gloves. Disposable gowns, eyewear or additional gloves are not in our stock,” said the doctor.
Similarly, in early April, workers in the industrial north blocked roads and protested about the lack of food promised by the government after being laid off and placed under strict curfew.
Since mid-March thousands of workers have been laid off as clothing manufacturers Hanes, Gildan, and Fruit of the Loom and auto parts maker Empire Electronics, among others, announced temporary shutdowns.
Many of the workers were left without pay and forced to stay in due to a lockdown.
According to the doctor, medical professionals among other civilians have been demanding for years that the Juan Orlando Hernández administration invests in health care and education rather than the militarization of the state.
The Honduran government on March 20 imposed a total country-wide curfew, the government has since extended curfew through April 26 to early May in an effort to contain the coronavirus.
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