KP doctors demand protective kits, screening centres in all hospitals

PESHAWAR: The Provincial Doctors Association has asked the government to provide protective kits to the entire health staff and establish screening centres in all the hospitals on an emergency basis to cope with the coronavirus.

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, the association’s chairman Dr Zubair, president Dr Fazal Manan, spokesperson, Dr Abdul Manan, general secretary Dr Adnan, chairman, provincial Doctors Youth Forum, Dr Qazi Shahbaz, and others said coronavirus had taken the shape of an epidemic and the doctors' community was getting affected.

Dr Zubair said that Dr Manaza and Dr Amir Taj, who had checked the coronavirus patients in Mardan and Buner, were now in the isolation ward while one doctor in Dera Ismail Khan is in quarantine in a critical condition.

He said the relief items, which the Chinese government had dispatched, had not been provided to the hospitals up till now. The doctor said the OPDs in the hospitals have not been closed, which could spread the disease.

Dr Zubair said the government had not provided even masks and posed a question as to how it could take measures to face the deadly disease. He said the doctors, paramedics and other medical staff were performing duties and the government should provide them with proper kits.

The PDA chief feared the entire health machinery would collapse if any of the doctors or paramedics were affected and it would not be possible for the government to overcome the coronavirus in such circumstances.

He demanded the establishment of screening and quarantine centres in the populated areas and closing active service in the hospital according to the World Health Organisation standards.