MULTAN: Twelve doctors and six nurses tested positive for coronavirus at Nishtar Medical Hospital, a senior official at Multan’s biggest health facility said on Sunday.
Nishtar Medical University (NMU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Mustafa Kamal Pasha said the paramedics were exposed to the virus while treating a patient.
“The staff had been treating a patient who had a lung disease. After the patient died, his test came back positive for the virus. We conducted tests of everyone in the ward after the patient passed away,” he added.
While the government says it is making all efforts to ensure the availability of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the paramedics treating the coronavirus patients, doctors across the country have complained of the shortage of protective gear as the number of cases rises above 5,000.
Dr Qaiser Sajjad, secretary-general of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) told a local news channel that the government needed to ensure proper protective gear was given to those dealing with coronavirus patients if it did not want the situation to get worse.
“This is a serious issue. How will the doctors treat people if they aren’t protected?” he asked.
“The government keeps saying it will provide protective gear to those working in the intensive care unit. If we do not take precautions, our health system would collapse,” he warned.
“If steps to protect the doctors aren’t taken, they will sit at home,” the PMA official added. “Those doctors sitting at home are not being used by the government. We could face a shortage of health professionals in the coming days,” Dr Sajjad noted.
“More than 50 doctors have contracted the virus and this is only about the ones we know,” he added.
It may be noted here that two doctors in the country have already died after contracting the virus during treatment of COVID-19 patients with many more affected due to shortage protective gear.
Earlier this month, doctors in Balochistan went on strike against the shortage of PPEs and resumed work after Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa ordered military officials to dispatch emergency medical supplies to Quetta to meet the requirement.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Sardar Usman Buzdar while taking notice of the development at Nishtar Hospital, sought a report from the Provincial health minister and secretary health in this regard.
He directed to conduct an inquiry into why such a large number of doctors tested positive for the deadly virus and said that the hospital staff should also submit its report.
Buzdar repeated that doctors and other staff deputed at hospitals should be provided with PPEs and other essential equipment on a priority basis.
He maintained that doctors and other paramedical staff were standing on the front line to fight the battle against coronavirus and their safety and protection was necessary.
He warned that action would be taken if it was found that the infected doctors were not provided PPEs due to negligence.
