Qureshi claims Multan hospitals didn’t receive aid from Punjab govt

MULTAN: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Monday that he had learnt that hospitals in Multan were not provided medical aid and supplies from the Punjab government to treat coronavirus patients.

The foreign minister said that after learning about the lack of medical support to doctors in Multan, he established contact with the secretary health Punjab and provincial health minister to resolve the issue.

Qureshi said that Punjab health minister and secretary will visit Multan today. He urged the authorities to focus on healthcare facilities in the south Punjab region and Multan.

“The biggest quarantine centre was built in Multan,” he said, adding that the pilgrims coming via Taftan border were kept in the southern Punjab city for testing and further procedures. He said that only those were sent back to their homes who tested negative for the coronavirus.

Qureshi said that he is grateful to federal minister Asad Umar for taking notice of the issue in Multan. Punjab is the worst-hit province of Pakistan in terms of coronavirus cases. As of Monday there were more than 3,500 cases and 42 deaths. While the government said it was making all efforts to ensure availability of personal protective equipment (PPEs) for the paramedics treating the coronavirus patients, doctors across the country have complained of shortage of safety equipment. On April 12, it emerged that Multan had reported a large number of coronavirus patients, with hospital staff being most vulnerable due to inadequate safety measures and lack of PPEs. Around 12 doctors and six nurses of Nishtar Medical Hospital had tested positive for COVID-19.

Earlier this month, doctors in Balochistan went on strike against the shortage of PPEs and resumed work after assurances from the authorities. Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa had ordered military officials to dispatch emergency medicalsupplies to Quetta to meet the requirement.

In response, Punjab Health Minister Yasmin Rashid said that she will be visiting Multan in order to verify Qureshi’s complaints regarding hospitals not receiving adequate aids to fight the virus. “I will update foreign minister after getting the first-hand report from hospitals,” said Rashid adding that the Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and other provincial officials have already visited the medical centres.

The health minister also maintained that Multan hospitals were already provided with safety kits and required items and the group of doctors who were suspected for coronavirus earlier have also tested negative today.