–WHO says Pakistani doctors most affected by coronavirus among healthcare workers
Another doctor passed away in Karachi on Monday, becoming the third doctor to succumb to the disease in the provincial capital, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that Pakistani doctors have emerged as the most-affected ones by coronavirus among their healthcare peers, including paramedics and nurses.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Qaiser Sajjad said that Dr Furqanul Haq, who had recently retired from the Karachi Institute of Heart Diseases, had tested positive for the virus around four days ago and had self-isolated at home. His condition worsened on Saturday because he had heart trouble and needed to be put on a ventilator after he started having difficulty breathing, but he could not find one despite visiting several hospitals, he added.
The PMA office-bearer said his wife and had also tested positive for the virus. Dr Haq tried to get himself admitted to any of the isolation wards but was unable to receive medical treatment, he added. “If a doctor in the country’s biggest city cannot be given a ventilator then what will happen to common citizens?” he asked.
On the other hand, Media Coordinator to the Health and Population Welfare Minister Meeran Yousuf told a local news outlet that ventilators and beds were available at CHK and JPMC, however, the authorities had initiated an inquiry into the incident.
Previously, Dr Abdul Qadir Soomro and gynecologist, Dr Zubaida Sattar had passed away in Karachi after contracting the virus. Dr Sajjad said that doctors have repeatedly warned the government that the country’s healthcare system will collapse if a strict lockdown is not imposed to curb the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, according to the WHO report, of the 509 healthcare workers affected by the novel coronavirus, there were 263 doctors (52%), 171 paramedics (33%), and 75 nurses (15%). In total, they form almost 2.5% of Pakistan’s almost 21,000 COVID-19 cases.
Some 2,663 contacts of the healthcare workers were identified, according to the WHO, and 2,499 of them were tested for the virus. Of those who were tested, 194 were diagnosed as positive and the results of 234 were awaited.
On the other hand, 1,607 of the contacts were in quarantine; it was not clear if they were in the isolation facilities or quarantined at their respective homes.
