The death of a second nurse from Covid-19 is causing panic at Sally Mugabe Hospital’s maternity ward in Harare, just a week after a matron succumbed to the respiratory illness.
Emelda Cheza died at Mbuya Dorcas private hospital on Sunday, according to colleagues.
She had opted for a private hospital citing congestion at public hospitals.
Matron Miriam Pundu from the same maternity ward died last week after working a shift at the hospital.
Nurses at the maternity ward are on a go slow amid concerns over lack of Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) and mounting Covid-19 cases among staff.
The beleaguered maternity ward has reported a number of Covid-19 cases among staff and patients and sources revealed that 15 nurses have so far tested positive.
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) said they had lost a “hardworking frontline worker.”
The union called on the government to prioritise PPE, warning that health workers would be forced to stop work than continue to expose themselves to the virus.