PMA concerned over Covid-19 surge

LAHORE:Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has expressed concern over the increasing number of Covid-19 patients and deaths due to coronavirus. As the situation is worsening but 50 percent people do not follow the preventive measures, they even do not believe in the existence of any such virus.

“We are also concerned over the increasing burden on healthcare workers and at the corona designated hospitals,” said Dr SM Qaisar Sajjad, Secretary General, PMA Centre, on Thursday. He stated that PMA had been continuously issuing health alerts and suggestions for government and preventive measures for the general public since 22nd January, 2020. At that time the number of deaths in China was just six and corona positive patients were 300, the pandemic was then in initial stages. Unfortunately, nobody paid attention to our concerns, they did not listen to doctors. Now the result of this negligence is obvious till now more than 120,000 people have been found positive and 2,356 died due to coronavirus, according to the official figures, he added.

PMA and its sister organisation like PIMA, YDA, GHA, the Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan, Pakistan Chest Society, ENT Society and other renowned medical experts through joint press conferences suggested the government to take the required steps to prevent the virus spread, because its spread would wreak havoc with doctors and paramedics, they will suffer the most. Again nobody cared for the lives of frontline soldiers. Now hundreds of doctors have been infected who are in isolation. Till now 38 doctors and three paramedics have died due to Covid-19. We have attached the list of doctors and paramedics who died of coronavirus for your information and for the authorities concerned to pay support money to the aggrieved families through Shuhada Package. Even now when the situation is worsening about 50 percent people do not follow the preventive measures, they even do not believe in the existence of any such virus.

PMA again request the government and the general public to take strict preventive measures. According to the WHO recommendations and by accepting advice of doctors of Pakistan, it is the responsibility of the government to save the lives of the people from coronavirus. We also request the people to take Covid-19 seriously. It’s a fatal disease which is rapidly increasing in Pakistan. Take extra care of yourself and your family. There is shortage of beds in wards, HDUs and ICUs all over Pakistan.

PMA believes that now our slogan should be “Protect yourself and fight against Coronavirus”. Always wear mask (Mask is mandatory).

Cloudy forecast

Partly cloudy weather was observed in the City on Thursday while Met Office predicted similar weather conditions for the next 24 hours. Met officials said that a shallow westerly wave is present over the upper parts of the country. Moist currents from Arabian Sea are reaching northeastern parts of the country.

They predicted that mainly hot and dry weather is expected in most parts of the country. However, rain/wind-thunderstorm is expected in upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Upper Punjab and Kashmir. Rainfall was recorded in a number of cities, including Garidupatta, 10mm, Muzaffarabad, 5, Joharabad, 6, Faisalabad, 2, Dir (Lower 5, upper 3), Kakul, Balakot, 3 and Pattan, 2mm.