ISLAMABAD: Healthcare workers (HCWs) fighting on the frontlines of coronavirus pandemic will get financial relief in shape of income tax exemption as beneficiaries of a 7-point incentives package announced by the government on Friday.
The families of medics who sacrifice their lives in the line of duty will additionally be entitled to monetary compensation ranging between Rs3-10 million —depending on their grade — alongside all perks and benefits enshrined in the ‘Shuhada Package’ for martyrs who perish while defending their homeland in the course of security-related incidents, the PM’s Special Assistant on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza stated while sharing he salient features of the package during a televised briefing held at the National Command and Operations Centre.
The package, which is said to have been finalized with absolute national consensus between the prime minister and the provincial leadership, lso features special tax exemptions for private hospitals wishing to import equipment and accessories required for establishment of critical care facilities.
The private health sector will also be supported with interest-free loans in some cases, and loans on a nominal 3 percent interest rate in others, to enable payment of staff salaries. In this context, Dr. Zafar thanked the State Bank of Pakistan for its ‘refinance facility for combating Covid19’ scheme, which paved the way for such support.
In addition to financial cushion, the sacrifices of frontline HCWs will be perpetuated in the annals of history. “We will recognize these heroes at the national level on September 6 through awards,” Dr. Zafar announced.
The package also features consolidation of efforts for the safety and protection of HCWs. In this context, fool-proof security arrangements will be made in all public and private hospitals to frustrate incidents of violence and harassment of HCWs at the hands of frustrated attendants of Covid-19 patients.
The dignity and respect of HCWs will be upheld through the development of a code of conduct in collaboration with the Pemra. “This code of conduct will safeguard against character-assassination of doctors in the print and electronic media,” Dr. Zafar stated.
Security of HCWs will also be guaranteed through adequate provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The package also promises prioritized diagnosis, and provision of specialized medicines for treatment of all infected HCWs.
“Three percent of our HCWs have contracted the infection thus far. Any worker experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 will be tested on priority. Moreover, the government will assume complete responsibility for the treatment and care of the families of HCWs at its empanelled hospitals,” Dr. Zafar shared.
A mechanism for provision of requisite psycho-social support to HCWs through WeCare will be developed; the national helpline 1166 will be expanded and reconfigured to address individual concerns of HCWs on fast track basis.
In terms of capacity-building, training sessions are being arranged for frontline HCWs involved in critical care management of Covid-19 patients, both in the private and public sectors.
Dr. Zafar said two types of trainings are underway — the first involves training of 5,000 critical care specialists as part of a collaborative venture between the Chinese University Hong Kong and the Health Services Academy. This online training with a hands-on component is spread over 8 days. As many as 1,000 workers have already completed this training. The
other training session focuses on rational use of PPEs as part of the WeCare Program. Of the targeted 100,000 HCWs, 20,000 have already benefitted from the training.
Dr. Zafar said, protection and support of frontline healthcare workers is the key component of the package, more comprehensive details of which will be contained in a document to be shortly released.
“The package will be implemented by the federal and provincial governments; however, there is some room for flexibility to be exercised at the provincial level,” he added.
Clarifying who exactly will be eligible for the package, Dr. Zafar said, frontline HCWs comprising doctors, nurses and paramedics who are directly involved in the management and treatment of Covid19 patients — be it in ICUs, OPDs, or isolation wards — will benefit from these incentives.
Reflecting on the process leading to the development of the package, the SAPM said, the government started off by holding videoconferencing sessions with individual health experts as well as doctors associations including the Pakistan Medical Association and the Pakistan Psychiatric Society, among others, and noted down their observations, concerns, and recommendations.
The broad contours of the package were then discussed with all provincial health ministers, both individually and collectively, and they too were brought on board.
“Many good suggestions were made by them, while many others were modified. The package has been finalized after extensive consultations spread over 10 days,” he informed. Paying tribute to the country’s healthcare workers, Dr. Zafar said, “You are our heroes; our first line of defence against Coronavirus. We are grateful to you and your families for performing such high-risk duties. No package can truly compensate your services and dedication.”
