Dawn reported that it was agreed in the meeting that government and private hospitals will not be allowed to let a suspected patient of coronavirus return home without treatment. Specific rooms and wards will be set up for the treatment of suspected patients and they will only be allowed to go back upon being tested negative.
Plans for setting up a Covid-19 helpline that would be linked to a data dashboard which will indicate the patients and doctors about vacant beds in ICU, high dependency wards will be available. So that no one goes through was Dr. Furqan Shahid went through.
The attendees also agreed that Sindh Health Care Commission would be tasked to ensure that personal protective equipment was available to each staff member of private hospitals per their requirement.
They said that the commission would also take up complaints of private hospitals and the commission would be authorised to seal a hospital, if violation was observed.
The commission shared that Covid-19 care facilities had been arranged at major private hospitals of Karachi and other parts of Sindh, including Liaquat National Hospital, South City, Ziauddin Hospital (Clifton and North Nazimabad campuses), Patel Hospital and Altamash Hospital.
Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho also agreed to the suggestion that doctors affected by coronavirus would be allowed treatment at any designated private hospital and expenses would be borne by the government.
The medical workers who lose their life in the line of work will also receive a Shuhada Package which will be soon announced by the government.