Provision of protective equipment: Doctors’ action committee decides not to attend quarantine centres from April 7

SUKKUR: The Joint Action Committee of doctors in Sindh, Joint Action Committee Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Sindh, and Young Doctors’ Association have convened a video link meeting to discuss the current situation amid the coronavirus outbreak and provision of protective equipment for the medical practitioners.

Provincial General Secretary of PMA Dr Pir Manzoor Ali, Chairman Young Doctors’ Association Dr Omar Sultan, Dr Muhammad Khan Shar, Dr Abdul Razzaq Rajpar, Dr Yasin Umarani, Dr Mehboob Noonari and others attended the video link meeting to discuss the coronavirus related issues and paid rich tributes to doctors and people who died due to the pandemic. The meeting reviewed the difficulties of doctors and paramedical staff, who were performing their duties in such non professional conditions.

The meeting also discussed the government’s attitude of not taking doctors’ issues seriously as the doctors were not given any special package for them to work during the high time, while they were also not being provided the basic protective equipment against the pandemic. They said the doctors and paramedics were doing their duties without the protective equipment but the government was not paying any attention.

During the meeting, the doctors fraternity said such attitudes of Sindh government were not acceptable and would strongly be condemned, saying the doctors were deputed in quarantine centres without following the protocols of WHO. They said the action committee had decided not to attend any OPD and quarantine centre without the safety kits recommended by WHO from April 07.