Congo virus patient finally shifted to isolation ward at JPMC

Karachi                                                     

A patient suffering from Congo virus was finally shifted to an isolation ward by the administration of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Saturday morning, after keeping him in the hospital’s general ward for two days with other patients.

The JPMC administration on Saturday claimed that despite a shortage of staff, including doctors, paramedics and other resources, they established a 10-bed isolation ward in the old director office with two “High Dependency (HD) rooms” and a large hall.

“We have established the isolation ward at the hospital and shifted the Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) to one of the HD rooms at the newly-established ward”, said JPMC Executive Director Dr Anisuddin Bhatti.

The isolation was established at the JPMC after doctors and paramedics protested for against the presence of the Congo virus patient in the hospital’s general ward among other patients, while they were also not provided any specialised kits and body gear to prevent themselves from the viral infection.

Dr Javed Jamali, a deputy director at the JPMC, claimed that the isolation ward at the JPMC was first of its kind at any public sector hospital in Karachi.

He added that the required staff, including doctors, paramedics and equipment, had been provided at the isolation ward.

He also claimed that the Congo virus patient, 16-year old Shahid Khan, was improving and hoped that with proper treatment, the patient would recover soon and discharged from the hospital.