Doctors of federal capital’s four government hospitals on Thursday, announced that from March 24, they would not treat coronavirus patients and shut down the outpatient departments, since they have not been provided protective equipment yet.
According to a news report published in DAWN, Doctors from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) and Federal General Hospital have made the announcement to stop working, while speaking to media at Pims.
Dr Asfandyar Khan from Pims said isolation wards in hospitals had been established at such places which cannot be accessed by suspected coronavirus patients without passing through all parts of the premises.
“We fear that general patients and hospital employees will also be infected. There are no arrangements to protect nurses, paramedics and other staff of hospitals from the deadly virus. It is deplorable that no adviser, parliamentarian or government representative visited the hospitals to inspect the arrangements,” Dr Asfansyar said.
He said the doctors would stop working from March 24 if PPE would not be provided to them. The doctor also demanded an assurance that a special package would be announced for those staff members who would contract COVID-19 while performing their duties. “It would be suicide to continue working without personal protective equipment,” the doctor added.
Moreover, Dr Mohammad Yousuf from NIRM said it was not possible for the doctors to continue working in the current situation. “Rather than establishing isolation wards in all hospitals, one hospital shall be designated for coronavirus patients,” Polyclinic’s representative Dr Mohammad Talha said.
According to a news report published in DAWN, Doctors from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Polyclinic, National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM) and Federal General Hospital have made the announcement to stop working, while speaking to media at Pims.
Dr Asfandyar Khan from Pims said isolation wards in hospitals had been established at such places which cannot be accessed by suspected coronavirus patients without passing through all parts of the premises.
“We fear that general patients and hospital employees will also be infected. There are no arrangements to protect nurses, paramedics and other staff of hospitals from the deadly virus. It is deplorable that no adviser, parliamentarian or government representative visited the hospitals to inspect the arrangements,” Dr Asfansyar said.
He said the doctors would stop working from March 24 if PPE would not be provided to them. The doctor also demanded an assurance that a special package would be announced for those staff members who would contract COVID-19 while performing their duties. “It would be suicide to continue working without personal protective equipment,” the doctor added.
Moreover, Dr Mohammad Yousuf from NIRM said it was not possible for the doctors to continue working in the current situation. “Rather than establishing isolation wards in all hospitals, one hospital shall be designated for coronavirus patients,” Polyclinic’s representative Dr Mohammad Talha said.